Return From Oblivion
by Caskett1960
Summary: Post 6x17. Kate and Castle try to come to terms with the aftermath of the botched undercover assignment. AU after Elena leaves Kate in the woods. Starting out T-rated, but will switch to M-rated at some point. Spoilers for last 2 episodes of the Season.
1. Chapter 1--A Harrowing Rescue

**TITLE: Return from Oblivion**

**DISCLAIMERS: 'Castle' is the property of Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC Studios Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is the property of the author and her somewhat twisted mind. **

**SUMMARY: Kate and Castle both try to come to terms with the aftermath of the botched undercover assignment. Post 'In the Belly of the Beast.' Will start out T-rated, but will switch to M-rated at some point. The story goes AU after Elena leaves Beckett in the woods. Contains spoilers from the episode.**

**A/N #1: A lot of where I'm going to go with this story is courtesy of the review that I read on www dot Gossipandgab dot com. But far be it for me to second guess the direction that Marlowe is going to go as the season nears an end.**

**A/N #2: I don't know how Beckett managed to get a call into the precinct with her hands bound behind her back. After re-watching the episode, I still can't figure it out.**

Chapter 1: A Harrowing Rescue

The woods were dark and shrouded in fog, resembling something out of a horror movie. Kate Beckett was kneeling on the ground, her hands and feet bound, the body of the man who'd brought her to these woods to kill her lying just feet away, his throat gaping open, crimson blood pooling under him. Kate was so cold that she was beyond numb, but she knew that if she didn't try to get out of these woods, she was going to freeze to death. Or one of Vulcan Simmons men would come looking for her when Mr. Harden didn't return to the compound.

Sitting on her butt, she managed to scoot toward Mr. Harden's lifeless body, lining herself up so that she could search his pockets. It took her a several minutes to find his cell phone. It took several more minutes until she was able to unlock the screen, thanking god he didn't have it password protected. Her frozen fingers didn't want to cooperate as she fumbled for the menu that would bring up the telephone keyboard. By using trial and error, she was able to turn the speakerphone on and then she dialed the one number that she knew would bring her help: 9-1-1.

'Scarsdale 9-1-1, do you need police, fire, or ambulance?'

'This is Det. Kate Beckett, Badge Number 41319. I'm in some woods near a house located at 501 Elm Road.'

'Det. Beckett, every officer in the city has been looking for you. I'm going to patch you through to your precinct so that you can give them your location.'

'Okay.'

She was so cold and so sleepy. She just wanted to lay down in these soft leaves and sleep. But she knew that she had to stay awake. She had to stay awake long enough to see Rick just one more time. She wanted him to hold her, and she wanted to tell him how much she loved him.

***CCC***

The hustle and bustle of the 12th Precinct had practically screeched to a halt as night turned into early morning. Rick Castle had lost count of how many cups of coffee he had consumed as he waited helplessly for word as to his fiancé's whereabouts. Kate Beckett had taken an undercover assignment the afternoon before that was supposed to be a quick in and out. Make contact, get information, leave. One, two, three. Only things hadn't gone exactly as planned.

They had lost contact with Kate shortly after she'd arrived for the assignment and except for a brief phone call and a text message; there had been nothing since the night before. All they knew for sure was that she was somewhere in Scarsdale, but they didn't know where.

The phone on Esposito's desk rang, causing everybody to become more wide awake. "Esposito!"

"This is Scarsdale 9-1-1, I'm patching through a call from Det. Beckett."

"Beckett? Hey, it's Kate!" Javier shouted as he hit speaker and everybody gathered around his desk. "Beckett, its Javi! Are you okay?"

"Javi, I'm in the woods and I'm so cold," her voice was slurred and weak, interrupted by a violent coughing fit.

"Beckett, do you know where you are?" He asked.

"501 . . . 501 Elm Road. But, I'm in the woods and I don't know . . . I don't know how far from the . . . house I am. I'm so tired."

"Kate, can you turn on the GPS for the phone?" Castle's voice entered the conversation.

"Can't. It took me . . . too long to turn . . . the phone on. Sleepy, Castle. Cold and sleepy."

"Ryan, Esposito! Take Mr. Castle and go to that address," Gates instructed them. "I'll try to keep Beckett on the line. Call for a bus when you get there! I want her checked out!"

"Come on, bro!" Espo called to Castle, who grabbed his coat and raced after the two detectives.

"Det. Beckett . . . Kate, this is Capt. Gates. I need for you to stay awake and talk to me."

"Tell them to . . . hurry. Tell Castle that I love . . . him."

"You can tell him that yourself in about 45 minutes. They're on their way to your location now. Can you tell me what happened?"

Kate's brain was so foggy. Why didn't Gates understand that she just wanted to sleep? But the cop part of her realized that she needed to focus. She'd survived almost dying in a freezer with Castle, being shot in the chest, almost becoming tiger kibble, and almost plunging off of a rooftop to her death. She wasn't about to die like this, in the woods, alone. 'No!' Her voice screamed at her from inside of her head. "Elena lied."

"We know. We figured that out when she escaped from the hospital. She killed her guard. Plus, Mr. Potter contacted us."

"Nothing's what . . . it seemed. Fowler . . . Fowler—"

"Let me take care of Fowler. This whole thing was a grade-A cluster fuck."

"Yeah, it was," Kate managed to chuckle. "Where are they?"

"They'll be there soon, Kate."

"He tried to drown me. In a bucket . . . of ice water. I'm so cold," her voice whined across the line as the normally stoic captain felt like sobbing. "The man who tried . . . to drown me . . . Vulcan Simmons."

"Are you sure?"

"You know him?"

"I know of his reputation."

"Castle . . . and I interrogated him almost three years ago. We thought he was . . . connected to my . . . mother's murder. I pushed him . . . through the one-way mirror in Interrogation Room 1. He didn't . . . forget."

On the other end of the line, Gates could hear Kate's teeth chattering as she tried to talk. But she knew that her teeth chattering were a good sign. It was when the chattering stopped that they needed to worry. "Kate, do you have any other injuries?"

"I might have a mild concussion. He banged my . . . head in the bucket. I'm so . . . tired."

"Beckett, don't you dare go to sleep! Stay awake and talk to me! Tell me about your wedding to Mr. Castle. I understand that you still haven't found a venue."

"No, we're still . . . looking. We had a perfect . . . place, but I . . . I messed it up. I still have . . . to pick . . . my wedding party."

"Picking who you want to stand with you can be nerve racking," the captain remembered.

"Sir . . . no, never mind."

"What is it, detective?" 

"I'm sleepy. Where is . . . Castle?"

"They'll be there soon, detective. Tell me about your wedding. Do you want something small and low key or something huge?"

Kate started to speak, but instead started coughing once again. Her chest burned like it was on fire. "Since Castle is my one and done, I want the whole fairy tale," she said when she was able to get her breath once again. "Sir, I can't stay awake. I'm so sleepy."

"Beckett, don't you dare go to sleep on me!" Gates shouted at her, willing the three men to please hurry. She wasn't sure how much more time Beckett had.

"You sound . . . like Lanie after I got shot," Kate's voice was weak and raspy. "I could hear her yelling at me not to die."

"You can't go to sleep, Kate," Gates kept her voice calm, although she was screaming inside. "If you go to sleep, you won't wake up."

"Sir, Fowler's story didn't . . . make sense."

The captain turned around when she noticed the narcotics captain listening to the conversation. "No, it didn't," she agreed, glaring at the captain.

"Gotta check him—"

"Beckett! Kate! Det. Beckett, you can't go to sleep! Beckett!" It was no use. The captain had lost contact with Beckett. She pulled out her cell phone and hit Ryan's name. He answered on the first ring. "Detective, how far are you from the destination?"

"About two minutes."

"You need to hurry! I think Beckett has lost consciousness!"

Castle's heart leaped into his throat at the captain's words. He pressed his foot down on the floorboard, willing Esposito to drive faster. A minute later, they raced through an ornate gateway leading toward a huge mansion. The ambulance came in right behind them. The three men jumped out of their car as did the two paramedics. "The patient is in the woods somewhere," Espo told them. "We're not sure exactly where."

Armed with flashlights, the search party headed into the misty woods, calling Kate's name every few seconds. The only sounds they heard were of the nightlife in the trees over their heads. Esposito pulled out his cell and called the precinct. "Captain, this is Espo. Can you call out for Beckett? If we hear your voice, we can trace where she's at."

"Okay."

They walked for another several minutes before they heard a voice shouting Kate's name. "This way," Ryan pointed as the men walked off toward the left.

After a few more heart-wrenching minutes, they heard the voice more clearly. "Kate!" Castle sidestepped down the small hill to where Kate was lying unconscious at the bottom. "Kate!"

"Step back, sir," one of the paramedics checked her carotid artery. "Okay, I've got a pulse. Let's get her to the bus!"

"Is she okay?" Castle was in a blind panic. She was cold and soaking wet. What in the hell had happened to her? He then noticed her hands were behind her back. "Espo, Ryan! Do either of you have a knife? We need to cut her hands loose!"

"Sir, relax," the attendant told him. "We'll cut the ties off of her hands when we get her to the bus. We need to go. Now!"

Ryan picked up the phone. "Sir, we've got her. We'll keep you posted."

"Are you going to call the coroner about the dead guy?" Castle nodded toward where Harden's body was lying.

"Yeah. Are you going to ride with her?" Espo asked.

"Absolutely."

"Then you'd better go. We'll wait for the M.E."

Castle turned and made his way up the hill behind the ambulance attendants who were taking Kate to the ambulance. By the time he got to the bus, they had cut the zip ties off of her wrists and were rubbing her hands to return the circulation. The first paramedic frowned after he'd listened to her lungs. "Her lungs are filled with fluid."

"Her clothes are soaking wet," the second one chimed in. "If I didn't know better, I'd think someone tried to drown her."

The first paramedic quickly started an IV before looking at his partner. "Let's get her to the ER."

"I'm coming with her," Castle said as he stepped into the ambulance.

"Just stay out of my way and let me treat her."

Castle sat beside the gurney, watching the paramedic as he placed oxygen cannula's under her nose and began placing warming packs under her arms and by her hips. "Does she have hypothermia?" He asked anxiously.

"Her body temperature is low. That's why I'm placing the warming packs."

"Can't you get the fluid out of her lungs? Isn't she drowning still?"

"They'll remove the water at the hospital. We'll be there in just a few minutes."

He hadn't seen her so still since that awful day in the cemetery, the day that he'd almost lost her forever. He could see dark bruises forming on her pale skin. He fought back tears as he wondered just what hellish torture she'd undergone in what was supposed to have been an easy assignment.

***CCC***

Castle was waiting outside of the trauma room when he heard footsteps approaching. Jim Beckett was walking with Martha and Alexis. "Rick, how is she?"

"They haven't told me anything, yet. The paramedics got her stabilized, but she was in rough shape when they brought her in."

"Richard, what happened?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. She went on an undercover assignment for narcotics and things were sideways almost immediately. There was another man in the woods where we found Kate, but he was dead. Esposito called and said that his throat had been slashed."

"Where are Ryan and Esposito?" Alexis asked.

"They were waiting for the M.E. They should be here soon," Castle began to pace. "They tried to drown her. When we found her, she was soaking wet and freezing cold."

Just then, a doctor came out holding a file in his hand. "Family of Katherine Beckett!" He called out.

"I'm Jim Beckett, Katie's father and this is her fiancée, Richard Castle."

"I'm Dr. Evans. Your daughter is suffering from a moderate to severe case of hypothermia. She's also somewhat bruised and battered. We've started her on an IV of warm saline to re-warm her blood and we've also inserted a tube to get the water out of her lungs. She's being monitored for adverse reactions to the re-warming, but so far she's tolerating the procedure well. She'll be moved to a room shortly."

"Has she regained consciousness?" Castle asked.

"No, but I don't expect her to for several hours. This is due to the hypothermia."

"Thank you, doctor," Jim turned toward the family. "Why was she working narcotics? I thought that Katie is a homicide detective."

"It's a long story, and I really don't understand all of it. Capt. Gates will be here soon and maybe she can explain it to you," Castle rubbed his face wearily.

"I'm going to go get us some coffee," Martha said. "Alexis, come along and help me."

Castle and Jim were standing there when the boys and Capt. Gates arrived a short time later. "How is she?" Gates asked.

"Still unconscious. The doctor doesn't expect her to wake up for several more hours. What did you find out about the dead guy?"

"We're running his prints, but his throat was slit just like the dead drug dealers. So, we're guessing that it's the work of Elena Markov," Ryan said.

"So, she accosted Beckett in the woods, but left her unharmed?" Castle was puzzled. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe she thought that Beckett would be dead before she was found," Espo added.

"Mr. Beckett, I want to apologize to you and to Mr. Castle," Gates looked at the two worried men. "I was assured that this was a simple undercover assignment. Kate was just supposed to go in and have a meet, and then she was supposed to get out. My intuition was telling me that something wasn't right. I even offered Kate an out, but she refused."

"What about the house? Did you find anything there?"

"Yeah, it was clean," Ryan said.

"Clean? You didn't find any fingerprints?" Castle was stymied.

"We didn't find _anything_. It was as if nobody had ever been there. CSU is still checking it out, but they're not overly optimistic," Espo said.

"We have to work on the assumption that Beckett was made and the dead man had taken her out to the woods to kill her," Gates added.

"And Elena killed him, but left Kate alive. None of this makes any sense," Castle was angry, but he didn't know who to be angry at.

It was obvious that Capt. Fowler hadn't done his homework. If he had, he would've known that Elena Markov was a contract killer and not a drug courier. If he had bothered to do research, alarm bells would've gone off. Nothing about this case was as it seemed and it angered him.

***CCC***

_Kate came to Castle's door feeling wet and cold from the rain. But now she was warm, unbelievably warm. Reaching out, she could feel the softness of Castle's hair under her fingers. She hummed low in her throat as she combed her fingers through it. She loved touching him, feeling the way that his skin felt under her hands when they made love. She also loved what his hands could do to her, making her feel things she'd never felt with any other man. _

She opened her eyes, when she realized that she was running her fingers through Castle's hair. It wasn't a dream. She hadn't died. Castle was asleep, his head resting by her hip, and his hands stretched out across her abdomen. Her eyes still felt so heavy, and she was so sore, but at least she was warm now. "Castle?" Her voice was raspy and her throat hurt. "Rick?"

At the sound of his name, Castle sleepily lifted his head up off of the bed, his eyes crinkling in a smile when he saw that Kate was awake. "Hey," he whispered.

"You found me."

"Hey, it's me that you're talking about. You're not going to get away from me that easily. Of course I had _some_ help from Ryan and Esposito. Let me go and let someone that you're awake," he stood up and started to leave, but she grabbed his shirt. "Kate, I'll be right back."

"Don't go," she whispered. "They'll figure out I'm awake when they come in here."

He could see the relief shining in her eyes that she was still alive, but he also saw the fear. Toeing out of his shoes, he laid down next to her, feeling her curl herself around him. "Watch your IV." He smiled when he felt her nuzzling his neck. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not yet. I don't want to tell my story a hundred times."

They lay quietly side by side, each lost in their thoughts. She could feel his hands rubbing slowly up and down her spine, soothing her wandering thoughts. There was so much that she didn't remember. But on the other hand, there was too much that she did remember.

Holding her in his arms, Castle was startled when she made a sound low in her throat. "Kate?" He whispered before he felt her tighten her grip on his chest. "It's okay. You're safe. Relax. Shh," he whispered to her, bringing her back from the brink of whatever had been trying to draw her away.

The door opened and a nurse stepped in, stopping short when she saw Castle in the bed with Kate. "Welcome back, detective. Let me call Dr. Evans and then we'll take a look at you. I'll be right back."

"They're going to throw you out," her voice sounded raspy, but sad.

"If you don't want me to leave, I'm not leaving," he declared resolutely.

She reached up to touch his face before drawing him down for a kiss. "I dreamed about doing that again," she stroked his face before kissing him again.

They were interrupted by the door opening, this time by the same nurse who had been in earlier followed by a doctor. "Det. Beckett, I'm Dr. Evans. How are you feeling?"

"A little sluggish, but I'm much warmer now," she answered as he raised the bed and checked her reflexes.

"The sluggishness might linger for a few days. I'm going to go ahead and remove this IV since you're awake. Your throat and chest might be sore for several days due to the water that you ingested. I would like for you to rest tonight and I'll release you first thing in the morning."

"Doctor—"

"You almost drowned, detective. You need to be observed overnight. I promise that I will release you first thing in the morning. Mr. Castle, you should go home and get some rest, as well."

"He's not going anywhere," Kate declared stubbornly.

"Well, for right now your father is outside and your boss has been anxious to ask you a few questions."

"Can you send my dad in for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

"Do you want me to stay or do you want some alone time?" Castle asked her.

"Will you please stay?" Her eyes were huge in her still too pale face.

"I'll stay," he kissed her above the bruised area on her forehead. He sat against her pillows as she put her head on his shoulder.

The door opened and Jim walked in as Kate gave him a bright smile. "Hi, dad."

"Katie, you gave all of us quite a scare," he walked over and gently hugged her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a little sore, but I'm okay. They're going to let me go home in the morning."

"I can see that you're tired, so I won't stay long. I just wanted to see you and make sure that you were okay. Take care of her, Rick."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Castle smiled.

Moments after her father walked out, Gates and the boys walked in. "We won't stay long, detective. Can you walk us through what happened? We got the text that you sent, but we couldn't ping the phone."

"I tried to send the entire address, but Mr. Jones came to take me to the meeting with Lazarus."

"And you met with him?"

"I met with the person that I thought was Lazarus, but it wasn't him."

"And that was Vulcan Simmons?"

Castle's breath caught in his throat at the mention of the hated name. "Vulcan Simmons did this to you?" He looked at her, but he instantly calmed down when he felt her withdrawing into herself and away from him. "Kate, I'm sorry."

"I recognized his voice, but I was hoping that I was mistaken. But then he turned around and—"

"He knew who you were?" Gates guessed as Kate nodded.

"If someone puts you through a mirrored wall, you don't exactly forget what they look like. Especially when the person who put you through that wall is a woman."

"Beckett, what happened?" Ryan asked.

"He wanted to know what the police knew about Lazarus. He had this tub of water . . . with ice cubes floating in it. He then started repeatedly asking what I knew about Lazarus. At some point, I passed out for a few seconds. He shoved me to the floor and that was when I heard him tell Mr. Harden—"

"Who's Harden?" Esposito wanted to know.

"You should've found his body in the woods when you found me. Elena killed him."

"Elena Markov?" Ryan looked at Kate as she nodded. "Why did she kill Mr. Harden, but she left you alive?"

"She told me that Lazarus wanted me alive. That's how I know that Simmons isn't Lazarus, because Vulcan Simmons wanted me dead."

"So, Simmons is just a middleman?"

"Yeah," Kate yawned.

"We're going to let you get some rest. We'll figure this out, detective," Gates told her.

"Yes, sir."

"Take a few days and we'll talk at the end of the week."

Kate sagged wearily against Castle's shoulder the second that her visitors all left. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Go back to sleep, Kate."

"It's Bracken, Castle," he looked down at her in shock. "Bracken is Lazarus."

"Kate—"

"No, listen to me. When Elena slit Harden's throat, I asked her if she was going to kill me. She said that her boss wanted me left alive. She said that he owed me. When I stopped the assassination last year, the last thing that Bracken said was that he owed me. Now we're even. Which means that the next time we meet—"

"I don't even want to think about that."

"It's going to be bad this time, Castle," she put her head on his chest. "Every time you mention leaving, I just feel overwhelming panic. I don't want to let you out of my sight."

"I'm not going anywhere," he held her tighter.

"So, how do you feel about sharing a very small, very uncomfortable bed?" She looked up at him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he tilted her head up and kissed her, relishing the feel of her mouth moving against his.

"I love you, Castle," she murmured sleepily, feeling his arms tighten around her even more.

"I love you, too."

Castle lay awake for a long time after Kate had settled into a deep sleep against his chest. His thoughts were full of so many things; Kate being safe and sound, her struggles with PTSD, and lastly, the revelation that Senator William Bracken was far more evil than either of them had known.

**A/N #3: This story is going to be posted very slowly. It took me four tries to get the first chapter the way that I wanted it to go. I'm also not sure how long it's going to be. Please read and review.**

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	2. Chapter 2--Stumbling in the Dark

**DISCLAIMERS: Oh, the things I could buy if I owned 'Castle.' But alas, no I don't.**

**SUMMARY: Kate's PTSD causes a rollercoaster ride for her and Castle. **

**A/N #1: I wish Marlowe would address Kate's PTSD issues more. He did an excellent job in 'Kill Shot' and I'm thinking that it's going to be explored again by season's end. From the research that I read, PTSD never goes away, but it can be managed. **

**A/N #2: I want to thank everybody for the positive feedback for Chapter 1. Hopefully, I can continue to make this story something that everybody wants to read.**

Chapter 2: Stumbling in the Dark

Castle didn't see how anybody got any sleep in a hospital. The night before he'd asked Martha and Alexis to bring Kate some clothes from home. Alexis had returned to the hospital with an overnight bag containing Kate's favorite sleep shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in along with clothes to wear home the next morning.

After eating something that resembled dinner, Kate had fallen asleep in Castle's arms. Once she was soundly sleeping, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, only to be awakened at least once an hour by medical personnel checking to be sure that Kate wasn't in pain or to check her vital signs. The last time they came in, she decided that she'd had enough. "If I'm in pain, I will call for somebody. I'm tired and I'm trying to sleep. Please leave us the fuck alone," she grumbled against Castle's chest.

"Too bad it's not a hotel where we could just hang a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob," he whispered in her hair once the nurse had left.

She sighed as she rested her head on Castle's shoulder. She was still so tired and so sore, but at least she was no longer freezing cold. "I was so scared last night, Castle. I heard Simmons tell Harden to dig a hole where I wouldn't be found. He's a sociopath, Castle."

"I should've been there," his voice was choked up with emotion.

"Castle, you were there," she struggled to sit up in the bed. "You were with me the whole time," she smiled at him. "When they were . . . interrogating me, all I thought about was you. Thinking about the wedding, our future, little Castle babies was what kept me going. Please don't feel guilty because you weren't there."

"I'm your partner, Kate. I should've been there."

"Castle, if you had been there, one of us might not have made it out alive. If something had happened to you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

He sat up and held his arms out to her as she fell into them, sobbing against his shoulder. "Shh. It's okay. We don't have to talk about this anymore tonight. Let's get some sleep and tomorrow I'll take you home. We'll curl up on the sofa in our jammies with a bowl of popcorn and watch mind numbing TV."

"Can we have a 'Survivor' marathon?" She asked.

"We will watch anything you want," he rubbed her back before lying down and pulling the covers up over both of them.

At some point in the night, she rolled away from him. But she woke up several times, disoriented and not remembering where she was. He knew from past experience that was her PTSD rearing its ugly head, causing her to have flashbacks and nightmares. When they'd first started sleeping together, she'd awakened like that on several occasions. He rolled toward her and lightly draped his arm over her, letting her know that he was there without actually waking her up or making her feel smothered. Through trial and error over the past year and a half, he'd learned this method worked the best. He smiled when he felt her reach for his hand and lace her fingers with his, pressing their entwined hands against her stomach.

She woke up the next morning to the feel of Castle's lips pressed against her neck. "Umm," she hummed, reaching her hand back and up to caress his cheek, loving the stubbly feel of his unshaved jaw.

"Are you okay? If you're okay with it, I'm going to go and find us some coffee."

"Coffee sounds wonderful," she murmured, still half-asleep.

"I'll be right back," he kissed her cheek before sitting up on the edge of the bed and pulling his shoes back on.

After Castle left, Kate rolled over and stretched her arms over her head, wincing at the soreness in her wrists and arms. Examining her wrists, she gasped at the raw, reddened skin, caused no doubt by the zip ties she'd been bound with. She was still taking inventory of her injuries when there was a knock on her door. She looked toward the door when Dr. Evans and a nurse stepped in. "Good morning, Det. Beckett," he greeted her warmly, walking over to her bed. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Anxious to go home."

"Well, let's have a look at you. Where's your shadow?"

"He went to get us some coffee."

"Take some deep breaths," he instructed, listening to her lungs. "You sound so much better this morning. There's still slight rattling, but I think that'll ease over the next few days. Your temperature is normal and everything sounds great. I'll get your discharge papers started and get you out of here."

"Thank you," Kate smiled just as Castle walked in carrying two cardboard cups of coffee.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

"So, have you been sprung?" Castle handed one of the cups to her.

"Yes. I'm going to enjoy this and then I'm going to get dressed. You wouldn't happen to know if Alexis packed a hairbrush, would you," she took a sip of her coffee and made a face. "This tastes like a monkey peed in battery acid."

"Hey, that was my line," he grinned. "I will check for a hairbrush."

"Can we swing by Starbucks when we get out of here? This is truly the worst coffee ever," she set the cup on her tray table and pushed it to one side.

"Worse than my mother's?"

"Believe it or not, yes."

"Here we go, one hairbrush," he pulled the object from the overnight bag and handed it to Kate.

"I'm going to go and get dressed."

She took the brush and the clothes that Alexis had brought her the night before and walked into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. She turned on the water in the sink to wash her face, her heart beginning to race. All she could see was a dark room and a hateful face in front of her. Then she felt cold; bitter, bone-chilling cold. _"I know your lungs are burning. I can feel the panic in your soul. All I want is for this to end. And I promise that I will end it."_

Castle was sitting on the edge of Beckett's hospital bed, making a face after taking a sip of what had to be the worst coffee he'd ever had since his early days at the 12th. He shuddered, about to call out to Kate when he heard it. A low moan that sounded like it was coming from a wounded animal. "Kate?" He called out uncertainly before getting to his feet and approaching the slightly opened door. "Are you all right?"

She couldn't move; she couldn't breathe; she couldn't think. All she could do was feel. She felt the cold, the iciness that flowed down her throat when she tried to scream; the pain in her head when Simmons had slammed her head against the edge of the water-filled tub. She just wanted the pain and the cold to go away. She flinched and tried to jerk away when she felt hands on her shoulders, hands that wouldn't let go.

"Kate, come on. Focus on my voice," she could hear Castle speaking to her but it was like he was at the end of a very long tunnel. "Breathe, Kate. Deep breath in, deep breath out."

"Can't," she managed to choke out.

"Yes, you can," he kept his voice calm and low. "Come on, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Just like that. You're okay. You're safe. I promise that I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to take you home and we're going to veg on the couch. Do you remember?"

"In our pajamas," she finally focused her eyes on his reflection behind her in the bathroom mirror.

"That's right," he smiled, glad that she was coming back from the flashback. "Do you need help getting dressed? Because popcorn and 'Survivor' awaits us at home."

"The water, Castle. Can you—"

"It's done," he reached around in front of her and turned off the faucet. "It's off."

"Okay. Good," she managed to smile, feeling the racing in her heart begin to ease. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Can't wait," he turned her around, tilted her head up and gave her a kiss, knowing that she hated being fussed over when the flashbacks ended.

He stepped out of the bathroom, surprised to find Dr. Evans standing there. "Is everything okay?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah, I was just helping her with some stuff," Castle stammered.

"I brought Det. Beckett's discharge papers. The sooner she signs them, the sooner you can take her home."

"I'll take them in to her," Castle took the papers and once again went into the bathroom just as Kate was pulling her shirt over her head. "Here's your papers."

"Great," she took the offered pen and scrawled her name to the bottom of the sheet. "I'll be out as soon as I get my shoes on."

"No rush."

"Are you sure that everything's okay?" The doctor asked when Castle came out and handed him the papers.

"Everything's fine," Castle's voice was terse, brooking no room for an argument.

"I'll send in an orderly with a wheelchair then," the doctor took the papers and quickly left the room.

"Thank you," Castle said as he walked over and put Kate's shorts and shirt in the overnight bag. He'd just closed the bag when his fiancée came out of the bathroom. "He's sending in an orderly to wheel you out."

"Oh, not a stupid wheelchair," she groaned.

"Hey, just roll with it," he put his hands on her shoulder. "It's not worth fighting over."

"You're right," she reached up and put her hands over his. "I didn't know that you were there, Castle. A while ago," she clarified as he nodded, understanding all too well what she was talking about. "It hasn't been that bad in a long time."

"We're going to figure this out, Kate. If you need to call Burke, then that's what you're going to do. If you want to try to work through it with just me, then that's what we'll do. I'm not going to let you run and hide."

"No, I'm done running and hiding," she agreed.

"Then, let's go home and get you well," he smiled brightly just as the orderly entered the room pushing a wheelchair in front of him. "And I believe that your chariot waits."

Kate reluctantly sat in the wheelchair as Castle stepped behind the chair and the orderly left the room. "Take me home, Castle."

***CCC***

The second that Castle and Kate walked into the loft, they were mobbed by Martha and Alexis, who both took turns hugging Kate tightly, letting go when they heard her groan in pain. "Kate, are you okay? Do you need anything?" Alexis asked anxiously.

"You know what? Some hot chocolate would be wonderful," Kate smiled at the younger woman. "I'm still feeling a little chilled."

"Why don't you go and change into some warmer pajamas while I get some blankets and pillows for our mind-numbing TV marathon?" Castle suggested as Kate walked into their bedroom. "Beckett and I are going to have a 'Survivor' marathon. Would you ladies like to join us?"

"That actually sounds like fun," Alexis said from the kitchen.

"No, thank you, darling. Watching those people backstab each other reminds me too much of my early days on the stage. Too much drama," Martha waved her hands dramatically as Castle laughed.

"Alexis, while you're making hot chocolate, I'm going to make popcorn," Castle went into the kitchen and took out the microwave popcorn.

"You youngsters enjoy your marathon. I've got some errands to run. Call me if you need anything," Martha grabbed her purse and coat, making an exit worthy of the Broadway stage.

"Dad, is Kate okay?" Alexis whispered as she stirred the mixture on the stove.

"She's going to have a rough time, but for right now, she's okay. So, don't make a huge fuss," he looked pointedly at his daughter, who nodded.

"Listen to the popcorn. I have to get pillows and blankets," he kissed Alexis on the cheek before going to get things from the linen closet.

Castle got the pillows and blankets before going to change into his own pajamas. After the popcorn and chocolate were finished, Alexis placed them on a tray and brought them into the living room just as her dad and Kate came out of the living room in their pajamas. "I want to watch 'Heroes vs. Villains,'" Kate instructed as Castle found the requested DVD set and put the first disc in the player.

He then sat on the sofa with Kate curled up against his shoulder and Alexis on the floor in front of him. Castle didn't understand his girlfriend's love for 'Survivor,' but he was more than willing to indulge it, just like he did her love for 'Temptation Lane.' It showed other layers to her besides bad-ass cop. It didn't take long for Kate to move from his shoulder to his lap. He pulled the blanket over her as the three of them continued watching TV.

As the first disc came to an end, Alexis turned around from her spot on the floor, smiling at the sight of her father and Kate both sound asleep on the sofa. She placed the empty mugs and the popcorn bowl back on the tray, taking them back to the kitchen. She then came back into the living room and straightened the blanket over Kate before kissing her father on the cheek.

Castle woke up, smiling into his daughter's blue eyes. "Hey, pumpkin," he looked down at Kate. "The doctor said she'll spend a lot of time sleeping over the next few days."

"Dad, what happened?"

"I don't know all of it, sweetie. And as you know, Kate doesn't like to be fussed over."

"I just want to know that she's okay."

"Right now, she's fine," he glanced down at Kate.

"I've got some reading to do, so I'll be upstairs," she kissed him once again before going upstairs to her bedroom.

"Okay, pumpkin." After his daughter had gone upstairs, he looked down at the sleeping woman lying with her head in his lap. He thought back to the flashback that she'd had that morning in the hospital. A flashback that seemed to have been brought on by running water. When he'd put his hands on her shoulders to try to bring her back, she hadn't even been aware that he was there. He also found himself thinking about what she'd said the night before about Bracken. If the senator and man who'd ordered her mother's death was truly behind what had happened to her, she needed to bring Gates into the loop.

_Kate was in a very small, very dark room. Her eyes refused to adjust to the gloom, but she could hear voices. At first, she didn't recognize the voices, but when she did, her blood ran cold. "Rich bitch from Uptown on safari in the Heights. Someone should've warned her not to feed or tease the animals. If they had, she might not have got eaten. From what I hear though, ha, she was pretty tasty."_

"No, go away," Kate murmured in her sleep.

"Kate?"

"_I know that your lungs are burning. I can feel the panic in your soul. All I want is for this to end. And I promise that I will end it."_

"Fuck you!" Kate suddenly jumped off of the couch and ran toward Castle's office.

"Kate!" Castle ran after her and saw that she was trying to get into his safe where she kept her off duty weapon. "Kate, whoa! What're you doing?"

"Gun, I need my gun," she was busily trying to open the safe, her hands visibly shaking. "Why won't this damn thing open?"

This was bad, this was very bad. He'd never seen her this bad before. She was crying and shaking as she tried to open the safe. "Kate, come on. You need to wake up. Why do you need your gun?"

"I have to kill him, Castle," she turned toward him, her eyes wide and wild with panic. "If I kill him, then I won't hear his voice in my head anymore! Please give me my gun."

"No, Kate," he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Please, Castle," she pounded on his chest with her fists. "I have to kill him. I have to kill both of them. He killed my mother, Castle. Now he's going to try to kill me. I thought that we had a deal."

"Dad?" Castle turned to find Alexis standing in the office doorway.

"We're okay, Alexis."

"Do you want me to call Dr. Burke?"

"No, I've got things under control."

"Are you sure that there isn't anything that I can do?" Alexis was unsure. From what she was seeing, Kate was a wreck.

"Sweetie, please just let me take care of this," he implored her with his eyes as she reluctantly turned and left the room. He then turned his attention back to Kate. "Come on, Kate. Focus on me. Are you all right now?" He asked when her eyes finally seemed to look at him like she was actually seeing him.

"I want them to die, Castle," tears trickled down her face. He hadn't seen her look so sad, so defeated in a long time.

"Come here," he held out his arms, feeling her wrap her arms around him and press her face to his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. "Do you want to talk about what it is that you keep dreaming about?"

"I just keep hearing his voice," her voice was muffled against his chest. "The whole time that he was shoving my head under the water, he kept taunting me. He kept saying the most awful things about my mother."

"When are you going to talk to Gates?"

"About what?"

"Kate, you need to tell her about Bracken. She saw how he reacted last year when he didn't want you investigating the attempt on his life. Maybe it's time that you explained to her why he didn't want you as the detective of record."

"Castle . . . Rick," she pulled away, her eyes swollen and bloodshot, "I made a promise to Roy. If I tell her about Bracken, I have to tell her what Roy was mixed up in with Raglan and McCallister."

"Kate, he's dangerous. He's already getting away with one murder that we know about. He needs to be brought down. I loved Roy, too, but I also love you. And right now, you're my priority. Will you at least think about it?"

"I'll think about it," she agreed.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about Thai food for dinner?" He looked at her as she nodded and smiled, raising up on her toes to kiss him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just for being there. For talking me off of the cliff."

"Always," he kissed her, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"I think I'll go and see if Alexis is hungry," she suggested. "I want the usual."

Alexis was lying on her bed when she heard a light tap on her door. "Come in," she called out, sitting up on her bed when Kate walked in. "Kate, are you okay?" She asked as she wiped at her face.

"Alexis, what's wrong?" Kate came over and sat on the bed beside the young woman.

"I just want to help and I feel so helpless because I don't know what to do!"

"I know that you want to help when I . . . when I get like that, but the only person that can really help me in the way that I need is your dad. Knowing that you're concerned helps me more than you can ever know."

"I'm glad that you're okay. Gram texted me the night before last after dad had gone to the precinct. She said that he was so worried when he couldn't reach you. He knew that something was wrong."

"Your dad is kind of Jedi like that," Kate told her.

"Yeah, he is," Alexis chuckled in agreement.

"I came up here because your dad is going to order Thai food and I wanted to see if you were hungry."

"Starving!"

"Great, I'll go and let him know."

***CCC***

That night, Kate and Castle lay in bed side by side; her lying on her stomach and him lying on one side, his head propped on one elbow. She was tired, but she wasn't ready to go to sleep. One reason was fear of the nightmares that were sure to come and the second reason was lying beside her. She didn't want to stop looking at him, touching him, sharing soft, sweet kisses with him. She'd told him earlier that she wanted him, but they had both agreed to wait a day or two for that since she was still so incredibly sore. "Castle, tomorrow I want to take a shower, but the water—"

"It's okay. We'll tackle the water together. We'll have the loft to ourselves if things get too awful for you."

"I'm going to call Burke in the morning. I also want to talk to him about getting my Paxil prescription refilled," she was referring to the anti-depressants that she'd taken right after the Lee Travis case had ended. "While I hated taking them, they did help."

She reached her hand up to touch the corner of his mouth, smiling when he kissed her fingertips. "You need to sleep, Kate," his voice was a soft caress. "Close your eyes. I'll lay here until you're asleep."

An hour later, Kate was sound asleep, but Castle was still wide awake, his mind a mass of churning thoughts and emotions. He decided to get up and try to get some writing done. He walked into his office, poured himself two fingers of Scotch and booted up his laptop. He had just started writing when he heard the door of the loft open and close. Grabbing his drink, he walked into the living room as Martha was hanging up her coat. "Oh, hello darling," she closed the coat closet. "You're up late, I see."

"I could say the same thing," he smiled.

"Is Katherine asleep?"

"Yeah," he sighed as he sat on the sofa.

"What's going on?" She came over and sat down beside him.

"She's having a really rough time, mother. She's been up and down like a rollercoaster all day long. Earlier, she woke up from a flashback and wanted to get her gun so that she could go and kill Vulcan Simmons."

"Has she spoken to her therapist?"

"She's going to call him in the morning. I should've been there with her. She shouldn't have had to go through that alone," he wiped at his eyes.

"Richard, the important thing is that you're with her now when she really needs you. Think about it; before she had you, she would've been going through the aftermath of that awful experience alone."

"Just the thought of doing something as simple as taking a shower is terrifying to her."

"Have they found the men who did this to her?"

"Gates told us that she'd call us if they had anything. We haven't heard anything today, so my guess is no."

"You need to get back in there to her before she wakes up and discovers that you're gone," Martha told him.

"Goodnight, mother," he kissed her on the cheek before draining the rest of his drink and going back to the bedroom.

Kate stirred slightly and reached her hand out when she felt the bed dip under Castle's weight. "Castle?"

"Shh," he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Go back to sleep."

"Love you," she rested her hand on his hip.

"I love you, too," he kissed her on the forehead before closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him.

**A/N #3: I promise that Kate will return to her usual bad-ass self soon. But she isn't going to get over what happened to her just like that. It's going to be a process.**

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	3. Chapter 3--Suspicions and Conspiracies

**DISCLAIMERS: No.**

**SUMMARY: Kate continues to fight for her sanity while Gates begins looking into the events behind the undercover assignment.**

**A/N #1: I'm not the best at writing crime fiction, so please bear with me during this chapter.**

**A/N #2: And yes, Worf, uh, I mean Dr. Carter Burke, is making an appearance in this chapter. However, it was pointed out to me that as a psychologist, he can't write prescriptions. Only a psychiatrist can do that.**

Chapter 3: Suspicions and Conspiracies

Capt. Victoria Gates stepped off of the elevator on the fourth floor of the 12th Precinct and made her way over to her office door. Juggling her cup of coffee, she reached into her purse and removed her keys to unlock her office door. Flipping on the lights, she walked over and set her purse under the desk and her coffee by her computer. She was checking her messages when there was a knock on her door. "Captain," a tall, dark-haired man stuck his head in the door. "I'm Lt. Webster from CSU."

"Yes, lieutenant. Did you find anything in the house?"

"We found traces of blood under a drain in a room in the basement of the house. We suspect that's the room where Det. Beckett was tortured. We also found this in one of the upstairs bedroom. It was hidden in a heating register," he held out an evidence bag containing a folded sheet of paper. "We also found blood traces on one of the heating grates that matched Det. Beckett's. We think that she left the blood so that we'd find that."

"Was there anything else?"

"No, ma'am."

"Sir," she corrected him. "You can call me 'captain' or 'sir.'"

"Yes, sir. The place had been scrubbed. We sent the blood that we found to the lab for testing."

"Thank you, lieutenant."

The captain sat back in her chair after the lieutenant left the office. There had to have been a plan already in place to clean the house as quickly as possible if they were ever discovered. She looked out of her window when she saw Ryan and Esposito sitting down at their desks. "Ryan! Esposito!" She stepped out of her office, striding toward their desks. "Where are we on Vulcan Simmons?"

"We spoke to him, his wife, and three other people who claim that he was at his house in the Heights during the time when Beckett was being tortured," Ryan reported.

"Bring in Simmons and his wife. Let's see if we can break his alibi," she ordered them.

"Yes, sir," Esposito grabbed his jacket as Ryan got to his feet.

Gates went back to her office and was making phone calls when Capt. Fowler knocked on her door. "What do you need, captain?"

"I was just wondering how Det. Beckett is doing," he walked into her office.

"I've been doing some thinking, captain," she ignored his question about Beckett.

"About what?"

"I've been thinking about this undercover assignment that you came to me about. You told me that the crew that Elena was going to meet with had never seen her. That they didn't know what she looked like."

"That's right," he was agreeable with where her stream of consciousness was going.

"Then maybe you could answer this for me," she sat forward, glaring at the man standing in front of her desk. "If they didn't know what Elena Markov looked like, why was it necessary to match her looks?"

"Exactly what are you implying, Captain Gates?"

"You sent one of my best detectives into a death trap. If you had done your homework and investigated Markov the way that you should have, you would've known that she was lying about being a drug courier. You dropped the ball and Det. Beckett almost paid for it with her life."

"People were dying, captain! We had to get somebody into that house so that we could find out who Lazarus was."

"Tell me everything that you learned about Elena Markov."

"She's 34 years old, born in the Ukraine. She came to the States 10 years ago as a mail order bride. She told us when she came to talk to us that she started delivering packages to make money after divorcing her husband."

"Only by 'delivering packages,' she was really killing drug dealers and not delivering drugs. You worked on this case for three months and couldn't figure that out. Beckett was in that house for a few hours and learned what was expected of her. You don't get offered 50k a week to deliver drugs, but you do get offered that kind of money to kill people. Do you have any information on Lazarus' real identity?"

"No, we're still investigating."

"So are we, Captain Fowler. So are we," she gave Fowler a knowing smirk.

The captain turned and stomped out of her office. Sitting back in her chair, Gates found herself wondering about the whole operation. Her Internal Affairs radar was telling her that something was off.

***CCC***

Kate opened her eyes and looked to her right where Castle was sprawled on his back, soft snores emitting from his opened mouth. Her bladder was screaming, but she couldn't resist lying there to watch him sleep. The night before she'd actually slept fairly well without any nightmares that she could remember. She figured it had to have been because she was exhausted.

Unable to ignore her bladder any longer, she hopped out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet, she stared at the huge bathtub and the glass-walled shower like they were mortal enemies. She hurriedly finished up, washing her hands quickly before running back to the warmth of their bed. She got under the blankets and moved closer to Castle, who opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy smile. "Hey," he mumbled, reaching his hand up to caress her cheek. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. I think that I was too tired to have any nightmares," she leaned down and kissed him before cuddling closer to him, sighing when she felt his arm circle her waist.

Castle needed the bathroom and a shower, but he wanted to make it a shower for two. Remembering conversations that he'd had with Dr. Burke regarding Kate's PTSD, he'd been told that to get her over her triggers, she needed to be in control. So the shower needed to be Kate's idea. He also knew from what had happened to her that the shower was going to be an easier prospect than the tub. He realized that the bathtub was going to take some work.

"I have to pee," he kissed her on the neck before bolting out of bed as Kate lay back and began to laugh.

She sat up in the middle of the bed after Castle ran for the bathroom. She ran a hand through her hair, wincing at how tangled it felt. She reached for her phone, opening her screen and going to her contacts, scrolling down for Dr. Burke's number. She was about to hit the number to call his office when she froze. She could hear the sound of the shower running and hoped that Castle wasn't planning on asking her to join him. Right now, just the thought of getting anywhere near any kinds of water made her want to run and hide.

In the bathroom, Castle adjusted the temperature of the water before stripping out of his clothes and wrapping a towel around his waist. He looked toward the open bathroom door, knowing that Kate could hear the water running. He just hoped that she hadn't decided to bolt. He ran a hand through his hair before leaving the bathroom and returning to the bedroom where Kate was sitting in the middle of the bed, staring at him with huge green eyes. She kept watching him as he flopped onto the bed beside her. "Are you still sore?" He took one of her hands, examining the raw, red skin where the zip ties had cut into her.

"I hurt more today than I did yesterday," she admitted.

"I've got the perfect cure. A nice hot shower with the jets set on massage and then two Advil. How does that sound?" He knew that the trick to this was making her think that the shower was her idea. He could hear her breathing speed up and felt like kicking himself. He didn't want her working herself into a panic attack. "Kate? It's okay. Focus on me. Tell me what I need to do so that we can make this work. I'm going to follow your lead."

All Kate could see in her head was a metal basin filled with floating ice cubes. All she could feel was the chill of the water as it filled her lungs. She tried to yank her hand from Castle's, but he refused to let her take the easy way out. He wasn't about to let her run and hide from him. That had been the old Kate. But that was because the old Kate had only had herself to rely on after her mother's death. Now she had the sweet, caring man lying by her side to help her through the rough patches. She didn't have to do this alone, anymore.

She took a calming breath before turning her attention back to Castle. "I don't know why running water scares me."

"Kate, they tried to drown you," he reminded her. "I would think any water is going to be frightening to you. We're not going to go into the tub. Right now, we're not even going to talk about taking a bath. I think a hot shower would help with the aches that you're still having. But I need to need to know how to do this."

She lay down and burrowed her face into his neck. He could feel her trembling as he wrapped his arms around her. "We're wasting water, Castle."

"I know. It's all good. Do you think that you can walk me through this whole shower thing?"

Pressing her lips to his neck, she sat up on the edge of the bed and grabbed his hand. "Why don't we go and figure it out together," she stood up and pulled him off of the bed, leading him into the bathroom.

Castle slowly undressed her, both of them wincing when they saw the amount of bruises that were beginning to appear all over her body. "Kate, what else did they do to you? You didn't get all of these bruises just by being dunked in water."

Instead of answering him, she stepped into his arms, her bare breasts pressing against his chest. Sensing that she just needed for him to hold her, no words were needed. He knew that when was ready to tell him the whole story, she would. After a few minutes, she stepped back and led him into the shower. She flinched, jumping back involuntarily when he picked up the shower wand which was dangling from its holder. "Are you okay?" He asked, seeing how huge her eyes had once again gotten. She could tell him whole stories with just her eyes. Right now her eyes were telling him that she was scared to death.

"Keep it away from my face, Rick."

"Okay." Keeping a close watch on her, he carefully moved the water over her body and then his own before hanging it back up.

He then took the shower gel and squeezed some into his hands before working it into a lather. He then worked the soap into Kate's body, being as gentle as possible with the marks that were appearing all over her body. After bathing her, he once again removed the wand and rinsed her off before handing the bottle of shower gel to her.

Squeezing some into her hands, she took her time soaping her ruggedly handsome fiancé. Rising on her toes, she rubbed the soap into his neck and shoulders before letting her hands travel down his body. After washing and then rinsing him off, she rose up again to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Can you wash my hair, Castle?"

"Are you sure?"

"You've washed my hair for me before. You know how to do it without getting my face wet."

She was letting him know that she trusted him, just like she always had. He grabbed the shower wand and looked at Kate. "Turn away from me and tilt your head back," he instructed her.

Taking a deep breath, she did as he asked, scrunching her eyes closed and flinching slightly when she felt the first blast of warm water on the top of her head. She felt the water cascading over the top of her scalp and down her back as Castle thoroughly wet her hair. She then heard the pop of the shampoo bottle followed seconds later by the rich smell of her favorite cherry-scented shampoo. She sighed blissfully at the feeling of Castle's long fingers massaging the shampoo into her long hair, being careful not to pile it on top of her head. "Keep your eyes closed," he warned her when he once again brought the shower wand up and carefully rinsed every last bit of shampoo from her hair.

After squeezing the excess water from her hair, he followed up with conditioning her hair, working the creamy mixture through her tresses. After letting the conditioner sit for a few minutes, he rinsed it out, as well. Again, he squeezed the water from her hair; he turned around and turned off the water. He then stepped out of the shower and helped Kate out before wrapping a huge, fluffy bath towel around her.

After drying their bodies, Kate walked up to the vanity and took out her blow dryer. She smiled when Castle wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "Castle, I need to dry my hair. Didn't you say something about cooking breakfast?"

"Okay, I'm on it," he kissed her on the neck before leaving the bathroom.

***CCC***

"Thank you for coming in, Mr. Simmons," Capt. Gates sat across from the huge man sitting beside his attorney.

"Just so you know, Captain, I've advised my client not to answer any questions." 

"Why, Mr. Lewis? Does he have something to hide? One of my detectives has accused your client of trying to kill her. I just want to know where he was night before last."

Simmons eyed darkened when he learned of the accusation. This was the first he'd heard that Beckett had survived. What had happened to Mr. Harden? Why had he failed to bury the detective in the woods like he'd ordered him to? Beckett was a loose end that he couldn't afford. "I was at home with my old lady. We were watching TV."

"Watching TV?" Capt. Gates looked at Vulcan Simmons with an irritated look on her face. "Mr. Simmons, I know that this isn't the first time that you've sat in a police interrogation room. That's the best alibi you can come up with? That you were home with your wife watching television?"

"Not a word, Vulcan," Mr. Lewis warned his client.

"Mr. Lewis, I have the word of your client, who, let's face it, isn't exactly the most truthful person on the planet, and the word of a homicide detective with more than 10 years experience. Who do you think I'm going to believe?"

"If you think that my client is responsible for the attack on your detective, then I suggest that you prove it. We're done here," Lewis stood up and motioned for Simmons to follow him.

Downstairs, Kate and Castle were getting on the elevator to go up to the bullpen. Kate wanted to speak to Capt. Gates before going to her appointment with Dr. Burke. There were some things that she'd remembered since the last time she'd spoken with Gates and the boys. They were holding hands in the elevator, Castle smiling when he felt her ring in the palm of his hand. He loved it when she was able to wear his ring in public. Usually she was relegated to wearing it on the same chain as her mother's. But when she was off duty or when they went out in public, she proudly wore the platinum ring.

When the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor, Kate froze and clutched tightly at Castle's hand. Castle's attention had been focused on Kate since boarding the elevator, so he was concerned about the look of panic that now filled her eyes. Looking forward, his eyes filled with a dark rage when he found himself looking at the devil himself.

What happened next took everybody in the bullpen by surprise. "You son of a bitch!" Castle lunged at Vulcan Simmons, who was almost toppled over by the sudden assault.

"Rick! Castle, no!" Kate tried to grab Castle, but it was like trying to hold onto an eel.

"Castle!" Ryan and Esposito as well as LT and Karpowki ran to separate the two men.

"Castle!" Kate tried to remove Castle from Simmons. Finally with the help of the other detectives, they were able to break the two men apart.

Simmons gave all of the detectives a sickly smile as he brushed his hands down the suit that he was wearing. "I see that he's still sweet on you," he got into Kate's face as she shrank back. "I don't know if that still makes him brave or just fucking stupid."

"What is going on out here?" Capt. Gates came rushing out of her office when she heard the commotion by the elevator.

"This man," Mr. Lewis pointed at Castle, who was still shaking with rage, "just attacked my client. I want him charged with assault."

"Drop it," Simmons turned to his lawyer.

"Vulcan—"

"I said, _drop it_," he looked at his wife, who was standing uneasily by his side. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"Det. Beckett, Mr. Castle, in my office. Now!" Capt. Gates ordered as she turned and went back toward her office.

"Can I have a few minutes, sir?" Kate called out.

"Five minutes, detective."

Taking his hand, Kate led Castle into the break room and poured them both cups of coffee. "Are you okay?" She asked, watching him clench and unclench his fists.

"You looked so scared and then he was standing there. I wanted to smash that stupid smirk off of his face. I see what he did to you—"

"Rick, you can't lower yourself to his level. I need you to help me through this. Let Gates and the boys take care of Simmons. Please?" She walked over and stepped against his chest, eventually feeling his arms fold around her.

"I love you, Kate."

"I love you, too. Come on, let's go and talk to Gates because I have an appointment with Burke in an hour."

The captain was staring out of her window when Kate and Castle entered her office. "Mr. Castle, I can't have you attacking suspects in my precinct. Do I have your word that this kind of behavior won't happen again?"

"Yes, sir."

"What did you want to talk about, detective?"

"When I was in that basement waiting to talk to Lazarus, I saw a check with the name 'Future Forward' stamped on it."

"I'll have the boys run it to see if anything pops."

"Did they find anything in the house?"

"There were blood traces under the drain that you talked about. They also found this," the captain took the evidence envelope containing Beckett's letter to Castle and held it out to Kate. "They found it in a heating register."

"Do you know what it is?" Kate stole a glance at Castle.

"I know what it is. It should remain evidence, but in light of everything, I thought that you might want it back."

"Thank you, sir."

"Have you talked to anybody?"

"I have an appointment with my therapist in about 45 minutes."

"I want you to take some time off, Det. Beckett. Let us handle the investigation on this end. I want you to rest and heal. You and Mr. Castle both."

"Yes, sir."

"On your way out, send in Ryan and Esposito."

Kate and Castle stepped out, only to be replaced seconds later by the other two detectives. "You wanted to see us, sir?" Espo glanced at his partner.

"Beckett gave me a name for the two of you to run. Future Forward. Find out everything that you can about it. What happened out there by the elevator a few minutes ago?"

"We're not sure, sir," Ryan said.

"Det. Beckett mentioned that she'd had a run-in with Mr. Simmons once before. She said that she pushed him into the two-way mirror in Interrogation Room One. Do either of you know what caused that particular altercation?"

"A suspect gave us Simmons' name as a possible suspect in the murder of Beckett's mother. Apparently, Mrs. Beckett had been trying to rid Washington Heights of its drug problem and Simmons took offense to it," Ryan told the captain.

"When her and Castle were questioning Simmons, he made some comments about Beckett's mother. I've never seen her blow up like she did that day in the box," Espo added.

"Is he still considered a suspect?"

"No, sir," both men added, a tad too quickly in Gates' opinion.

"I see. Well, run down that name that Beckett gave me and see what else you can dig up on our mystery contract killer, Elena Markov."

"Yes, sir," both men answered as they left the room.

Gates had worked Internal Affairs for a long time. She knew a cover-up when she heard it. When she had first taken over after Roy Montgomery's death, she had heard whispered conversations. There were too many things that didn't add up. Plus, there was the behavior of her new team. Beckett's mistrust of her when she'd first come back from medical leave had leaked over to the other two detectives. As she had told Beckett when she'd asked to be reinstated after her suspension, she had no interest in digging up Roy Montgomery's past. It would serve no purpose. She just wished that her detectives would trust her and let her in a little. The mistrust had to stop.

***CCC***

After returning home from the precinct, Vulcan Simmons shut himself in his bedroom and looked up a number on his cell phone. "I want to know why in the fuck Detective Beckett is still alive! You're the one who recommended Harden to me in the first place! You told me that you had this under control!"

He then hung up and made a second phone call. "We need to have a meet."

"That would not be wise."

"Fuck wise! Fowler is becoming a liability!"

"Trust me when I tell you that everything is under control. The NYPD are not going to be a problem."

"And I'm telling you that you're wrong."

"You need to relax, Mr. Simmons, and stop drawing attention to yourself. Waterboarding a New York City detective wasn't exactly the best decision on your part. Consider yourself fortunate that you didn't end up on the other end of Ms. Markov's knife instead of your colleague, the _unfortunate_ Mr. Harden."

Simmons hung up and flung his phone against the wall, becoming even angrier when the phone shattered into a hundred pieces. He had been promised that the police wouldn't be a problem. He'd been promised a huge cut of the Future Forward operation. The last thing he had expected was to be hauled down to the 12th precinct to answer questions about Det. Beckett's unfortunate accident. Regardless of what Bracken said, Fowler was a liability. A liability that neither of them could afford.

***CCC***

"What did Gates give you back in her office?" Castle asked as they stepped into the elevator to go up to Dr. Burke's office.

"I'll tell you about it later," she looked ahead as the elevator ascended.

She had placed the evidence envelope in her purse until she could decide what she wanted to do with it. She really wanted to sit down and talk to Castle about the contents of the letter. She had only intended for him to actually read it in the event she had died inside of that house of horrors. There was no need for that now. She had made it out alive, and while she was sure that neither of them were a hundred percent okay, at least they were together.

They stepped off of the elevator on the 27th floor and walked up to Dr. Burke's office. Rosemary, Dr. Burke's receptionist, let out an involuntary gasp when she saw the huge bruise on Kate's forehead. "I hope the other guy looks worse."

"I have a three o'clock appointment with Dr. Burke," Kate said, ignoring the comment.

"I'll let him know that you're here."

A few minutes later, a door opened and Dr. Burke stepped out. "Kate, I'll see you now."

"I'll be out in a little while," she turned and kissed Castle.

"So, does the reason that you're here have anything to do with that bruise over your eye?" Burke asked as he led her into his office and closed the door.

Kate sat in her usual chair and told the doctor about the undercover assignment from almost two days before. "Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I just have this feeling that this 'assignment' was an excuse to get me into that house."

"Why do you feel that way?"

"When I woke up in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. One of the things that Fowler said when he was telling me about the assignment doesn't make sense. He said that the people in the house didn't know what Elena looked like. So, if they didn't know what she looked like, why did they need to match her looks?"

"That's an interesting question," Burke agreed. "Have you had a chance to talk to Capt. Fowler again?"

"No, and I'm not really sure that I want to. I've had a lot of problems since I was rescued."

"Fear of water?" He guessed as Kate nodded.

"It took Castle almost half an hour this morning to manage to get me into the shower. And that was running water. The thought of taking a bath is petrifying to me."

"What else?"

I'm jumpy. Every little sound gets to me. But, it's affecting Rick, too."

"How so?"

"A while ago at the precinct, we were getting off of the elevator when the man who tried to drown me was getting on. I had a panic attack at the sight of him, but Castle actually attacked him. It took four people to pull him off. He was shaking for a good hour after."

"His fear and anger are also understandable. He's been your partner for the better part of five years. This was a situation where he wasn't able to have your back. So, it makes sense that he feels a large amount of guilt and maybe even shame that he wasn't there with you."

"But he was," she leaned forward. "I wrote him a letter while I was in the house. The CSU team found it when they were sweeping the house and gave it to Capt. Gates and she gave it back to me. I wrote it in case . . . in case—" her eyes filled with tears which spilled over and ran down her face.

"In case you didn't make it," he finished for her.

"Yeah. Do you think that I should give it to him? He's curious about what Gates gave me in her office."

"I think letting him read the letter would be cathartic, but I would wait until after the two of you really have a chance to talk about everything that happened in that house."

"Did you call my doctor about my Paxil prescription?"

"Kate, I can recommend the Paxil, but I don't really think you're going to need it this time around. I already sense how different you are this time around facing the PTSD as opposed to how you were before, after your shooting. You're much more open, much more willing to talk about what you're feeling."

"I can't cope with the city noises. It's like it was before," she shuddered at the memory of how it had been after her shooting.

"Then maybe you need to get out of the city for a few days," he suggested. "Go to the mountains, or back to your father's cabin."

"How do I get over the water situation? I can't take half an hour to work up the courage to get in the shower every day."

"You're going to get through it the same way that you got through everything after your shooting. Slowly and one step at a time. But this time, you have that young man out there in the waiting room to help you through it. I take it that he doesn't let you run and hide."

"No, he doesn't," she smiled.

"Let him help you, Kate. Let him take some of the weight of the world off of you."

"He's probably going to make me add you to our guest list," she told him as he chuckled.

"When is the big day?" He nodded toward her ring.

"May. We haven't pinpointed an exact date, yet."

"This is a stupid question, but are you happy?"

"Yes, I'm very happy," she smiled brightly for the first time since entering the therapist's office.

"In that case, just take my advice and let him help you shoulder some of what you're going through. If things don't improve over the next week or so, call me and we'll talk about where you go from here."

"Thank you," Kate stood up and made her way to the door as Dr. Burke followed behind.

Castle got to his feet when Kate exited the doctor's office. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, Castle. Let's go home," she reached for his hand before turning back to face Dr. Burke. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Kate. Go home and take care of yourself."

Kate was quiet most of the drive home. Castle could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind. "Would you like to talk about what you're thinking about so loudly over there?" He glanced over at his fiancée, who was staring out of her window at the ever-present Manhattan gridlock.

"Do you have any meetings with Black Pawn over the next week or so?"

"No, I don't have to meet with Gina or Paula until after the first. Why?"

"I just want to get out of the city for a few days. Can we go to the Hamptons?"

A few days at the beach house would do both of them a lot of good. Long walks on the beach, sipping wine by the fire at night, making love for hours by the upstairs fireplace. Castle could feel himself relaxing already. "Some time at the Hamptons sounds great. We can leave this evening if you'd like."

"No, tomorrow morning is soon enough. Do you think Alexis or your mother will mind?"

"No, they'll understand. I think we can both use the time away to regroup."

Kate leaned her head back against her window and continued to watch the cars crawl by. She loved New York City and always had, but right now it was too busy, too noisy, and too much for her wounded psyche to tolerate.

***CCC***

"I have a problem that I need for you to take care of," were the instructions given over the phone. "Word on the street is that the detectives are becoming suspicious of our narcotics detective. Take care of it for me."

"Shall I dispatch him the way that I disposed of the others?"

"Do it however you want. Just get it done."

The caller disconnected. Elena Markov pulled her curved bladed knife from its holder on her waist and examined it carefully. The bodies were piling up and soon she was going to be holding all of the cards. Someday soon her boss was going to be paying the piper and the bill might prove to be more than he was willing to pay. He thought that he was the one holding all of the cards, little realizing how very wrong he was.

**A/N #3: Well, I went all over the place with this chapter. Things will be angsty and relaxing at the same time with the next chapter.**

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	4. Chapter 4--Deeper Mysteries

**DISCLAIMERS: I don't own anything that you would recognize.**

**SUMMARY: Castle and Beckett spend some time in the Hamptons while back home the boys make a startling discovery regarding the mysterious Future Forward.**

**A/N #1: It's only been in Season 5 and 6 that Gates seems to be getting closer to her team. I don't know how much she knows regarding the murder of Beckett's mother. In Season 5's 'Recoil,' she didn't understand why Bracken didn't want Kate working to find the person targeting him. I would think that she'll get some answers later this season. But for the sake of my story, she's going to get some answers in this chapter.**

Chapter 4: Deeper Mysteries

It was after three in the morning, but Castle's brain refused to shut down and allow him to sleep. So, after tossing and turning for the better part of two hours, he got out of bed and retrieved his laptop from his office. Now his fingers were flying over the keyboard as he sent Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook on yet another adventure.

Occasionally he'd glance to his left where Kate was sleeping, her hand lightly resting on his upper thigh. They had spent the afternoon and evening before packing a few things for their trip to the Hamptons. After packing, Castle had fixed dinner for the two of them and afterwards they had curled up together to watch a little TV. It had been almost midnight when they finally went to bed.

Kate had fallen asleep rather quickly, but Castle's mind wouldn't rest. He kept flashing back to his attack on Vulcan Simmons earlier that afternoon. Kate had looked so scared that his instincts had kicked in and he attacked the hated man. Just remembering the sound of his voice made him want to throw up or hit him again.

He froze and looked toward Kate when he heard her mumbling in her sleep. He quickly put his laptop on the floor in case she woke up and needed him. But she seemed to settle and go back to sleep, so he retrieved his computer and started writing again.

The clickety-clack of Castle's fingers on his computer keyboard filtered through Kate's brain. That sound was always a comforting sound, but right now she was tired and she wanted to sleep wrapped in her fiancé's arms, not listening to the sound of him writing. "Trouble sleeping?" Her voice was slurred with sleep as she struggled to a sitting position.

"I wanted to get some writing done," he turned and gave her a soft kiss.

"Castle, I'm sleepy," she complained, laying her head on his shoulder. "I want to go to sleep with you. Save that and lie down with me."

He looked deep into her sleepy green eyes and saved the document on his computer before shutting it down and putting it on the floor beside the bed. He then pulled the blankets over them and tugged her into his arms, spooning himself around her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sleepy, Castle," she murmured sleepily. "Ask me in the morning. Wanna be held. I don't wanna talk."

"Okay," he chuckled before kissing her on the back of her neck.

She sighed deeply when she felt his arms tighten around her. What she wanted was for the darkness to go away. The darkness and the cold that seemed to always surround her. Castle was her lifeline to make it back to the light and the sunshine.

When she woke up again, the sun was starting to come through the slats in the blinds. She rolled over toward Castle's side of the bed, only to find it empty and cold. She sat up and looked around the bedroom. She then saw that the bathroom door was closed and the shower was running. She got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. "Castle?" She called out when she opened the bathroom door.

"I'll be out in a few minutes. I wanted to let you sleep," he called out over the sound of the running water.

Her heart began to race, but the need to be with him was overpowering. "Stay there," she called back to him as she began to remove her clothes.

Castle was in the middle of washing his hair when he felt a blast of cold air hit his body, followed by a very naked Kate stepping in. The bruises had fully bloomed, marking her in various shades of black, blue, and purple on her torso and legs. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist as the water cascaded over him. He moved her back before the water could hit her in the face. "I need to finish washing my hair," he smiled down at her. "Stay there, okay?"

He quickly rinsed his hair before stepping back up to Kate, who once again clasped her arms around him. "I woke up and the bed was cold. How long have you been awake? Or did you ever go to sleep?" She reached her hand up to caress his stubbly jaw. "What's going on?"

"I'm just trying to work some stuff out. Maybe the Hamptons will do both of us some good. I wanted to kill him, Kate," he said, referring to Simmons.

"I know. When the elevator doors opened and I saw him, all I could feel was the cold and the dark and I just kept hearing his voice and it wouldn't stop," her breath was speeding up as she began working herself into a panic attack.

"Shh. Kate, it's okay. Come on, breathe. Let me finish showering and I'll fix us some breakfast before we leave for the beach house."

"Can I stay here?"

"Yeah, of course you can stay here," he smiled and gently kissed her above the bruise on her forehead.

"What did you want to ask me last night?" She watched him lather his body, which always caused her pulse to quicken. Bathing him was something that she usually did which almost always led to more fun activities.

"When are you going to talk to me about what Gates gave you?" He asked as he finished washing before rinsing off under the shower.

"That's why we're going to the Hamptons. I promise that I will tell you everything surrounding the evidence that Capt. Gates gave to me. It's nothing bad, Castle. I promise."

She remembered how scared she'd been when she wrote that letter, but every word in it was the truth. But she wanted him to understand where she was emotionally when she wrote those words down on paper.

A little while later, the two of them were eating French toast when Martha walked down the stairs. "Good morning, darlings," she kissed each of them. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Getting better every day," Kate gave her future mother-in-law a bright smile as she dove back into her breakfast. Castle was a phenomenal cook, but never more so than when he cooked breakfast. With the exception of the god-awful smorlette, he always made such wonderful breakfasts.

Watching the smile that Kate gave his mother, Castle knew that she was covering up how she really felt. He knew that she only slept in brief snippets of time, not that he was exactly sleeping like a rock either, but this wasn't about him. This was about getting her well enough to function. He had no idea how bad things had been in that house because she still hadn't been able to tell him. Hopefully a few days in the Hamptons would relax her enough to start talking to him.

"So, what are you two up to today?"

"We're going to drive up to the Hamptons for three or four days. We both feel a need to get out of the city for a little while. I talked to Alexis about it last night, and she's fine with it."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. A few days away will be good for both of you."

"We're going to leave right after breakfast."

"Have a wonderful time," Martha hugged her son. "Hopefully you'll both come back in a healthier state of mind. After all, we still have wedding plans to get back to."

She then left them and returned back upstairs, leaving Kate and Castle to smile and shake their heads. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is my mother," Castle muttered under his breath.

"Come on, Castle, she's actually very sweet. A little quirky, but sweet."

***CCC***

"Ryan, Esposito," computer tech expert Tori Ellis entered the bullpen, "I think you need to see this."

"What've you got?" Espo asked as they followed the young brunette back to her computer.

"I ran the name that you guys gave me and this is what popped," she pointed to her computer screen.

The image on her screen was of the state capitol building. "This is Future Forward?" Ryan and Esposito exchanged looks.

"If these are the words that Beckett saw, then yes, this is Future Forward."

"This doesn't make any sense. What in the hell is this supposed to mean?" Esposito asked. "I'm going to go and get the captain."

Esposito left, returning moments later with Capt. Gates, who like her two detectives, couldn't help but stare at Tori's computer screen in puzzlement. "So, the check that Det. Beckett saw was made out to this group?"

"It looks that way. It looks like someone is amassing a huge war chest with laundered drug money."

"Is that even legal?" Gates asked.

"It's legal because it can't be proven where the money came from. By building this war chest, they're able to avoid the private interest groups and thus avoid the monetary limit imposed by law."

"Who is this group working for?"

"Senator William—"

"Bracken," Ryan and Esposito finished at the same time as Gates and Tori stared at the two men.

"Is there something that you two would like to share with the rest of the class?" Gates folded her arms over her chest and peered at the two detectives.

"It's a long story," Ryan told his superior.

"I've got plenty of time."

"Then we'd better go into your office," Espo said.

"Thank you, Ms. Ellis," Gates thanked the young woman before leaving the area with the other two detectives. They walked into her office and she closed the door before drawing the blinds. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember last year when someone was trying to kill Bracken and he had a problem with Beckett investigating?"

"Yes, I remember."

"He and Beckett had had a run-in a few months before that," Espo began as Gates quirked her eyebrow. "When she was on suspension. Sir, we have reason to believe that Senator Bracken is the person who hired the man who killed Johanna Beckett and he also hired the man who shot Beckett."

"What proof do you have?" Gates perched on the edge of her desk, facing the two men.

"We found a money order made out to him from several years ago. The money order was blown to bits in the explosion that killed Cole Maddox. We pieced it together," Ryan's voice was barely audible.

"I'm going to ask this question one time and I want an honest answer. Was Roy Montgomery mixed up in any of this?"

"Yes, sir. He tried to make things right in the end, which is how he ended up dead in that airplane hangar," Espo looked over at Ryan. "He drew Hal Lockwood and the others to that hangar to keep them from killing Beckett."

"So, are we to assume that Elena Markov is possibly working for Bracken? If all of this is true, that is," Gates quickly added.

"I'd also assume that he has Simmons and maybe even Fowler in his pocket, as well," Ryan threw in.

"Let's get everything that we can on Senator William Bracken. I want you to keep this as quiet as you can. We don't know how deep it goes or if there are possibly other members of the NYPD involved. Report to me and me only. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," both men chimed in unison.

"All right, get on it, then," she said, walking around to her desk. She then got on her phone and called Tori into her office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"I want you to examine every bit of video and still image footage that you can find of Senator William Bracken. If you see anybody else that you recognize in the footage, report to me immediately."

"Yes, sir. I'm on it. How far back do you want me to go?"

"Go back to the late 90's."

"Yes, sir."

***CCC***

It was shortly after noon when Castle and Kate arrived at the house in the Hamptons. He took their bags upstairs while she remained downstairs looking around herself in awe, like she did every time she entered this magnificent house. She never tired of the wonder and the beauty of it. The second that she entered the house, she felt herself relaxing. She walked to the French doors that led to the backyard and opened them wide, smiling at the sound of the surf that instantly surrounded her. Castle had told her on her first visit to the house that the backyard was his favorite part of the house and it had soon become her favorite place, as well. She loved to sit with Castle on the porch swing, wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate while listening to the ocean.

She smiled when she felt strong arms pulling her close, soft lips caressing her neck. "Can we go for a walk?" She turned into his arms.

"Whatever you want," he pulled her closer to him.

"Let's go for a walk," she backed up and tugged on his hand.

Kate had always loved the beach. She loved the way that it sounded from the Hamptons house. But hearing it from far away and actually seeing the water striking the shore from close up proved to be two very different things. The moment that they hit the beach from the path by Castle's house, Kate felt the panic begin to set in.

Castle felt it before he saw it. Her grip on his hand tightened and he heard her breathing begin to hitch. He looked out to sea, trying to imagine in his head what it was that Kate was sensing as she looked at the same thing. He knew that she was seeing ice and metal. He knew that she was feeling the extreme of the cold as she was shoved under water repeatedly.

He remembered talking to Ryan and Esposito while they were waiting for the doctor to finish examining Kate in the ER that night.

"_It was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life," Ryan suddenly announced as Castle stared at him, not comprehending what he was talking about. "The night that Lockwood kidnapped me and Espo. Being shoved in that tub of water was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. Trying to fight it just made it worse."_

"_It took days to get warm," Espo added his experience. "Even now, when the weather gets cold, I go back to that night."_

"Kate, are you okay? Talk to me," he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her.

"I'm so tired of being afraid. I wanted to come out here to relax," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting hard not to burst into tears. "I didn't want to come out here and be afraid. This house has always been my sanctuary. I don't want to go back to being that person that I was after I got shot."

"I'm not going to let you go back to being that person," he turned her so that she was facing him. "We're going to talk and we're going to get you through this."

"When I look at the water, all that I feel is freezing cold and I can't breathe. I was so scared, Castle. At first, I'd try to fight and scream every time he put my head underwater. But the more that I fought, the more that it hurt. My lungs felt like they were going to burst. I just knew that I was going to die in that house. I was going to die and I was never going to see you again," tears began dripping down both of their faces as they stood face to face. "I was going to die without ever seeing you again. I was going to die without telling you how much I love you. I kept hearing your voice every time that he put me under that water. I kept hearing you telling me that I could do this; that I could fight."

"I know that I've said it before so many times," he sniffled as he cupped her face in his large palms, tilting her up to look at him. "You are so tough and so extraordinary. You're not going to let Vulcan Simmons drag you down. You're not going to let him defeat you."

"Let's walk a little ways," she once again reached down for his hand and began walking.

They walked down their favorite stretch of the beach, talking, laughing, and flirting with each other. But soon he noticed that she was visibly shivering despite the heavy hooded sweatshirt that she was wearing. "You're cold," he observed as she looked at him and gave him the sweet smile that always melted his heart. "Let's go home and I'll make a pot of soup."

When they walked into the house, Castle started a fire in the downstairs fireplace before going into the kitchen and getting out the ingredients to make their favorite broccoli cheese soup.

Kate was sitting on the sofa still wearing her sweatshirt, but she'd added a large New York Giants throw around her body. She was staring out at the large picture window, deep in thought, when she heard footsteps approaching her. She looked up at Castle, who was standing there with a steaming mug in his hands. "I brought you some hot chocolate," he offered her the mug. She smiled and took it gratefully as he sat down beside her. "The soup will be ready in a little while."

She opened up the blanket and wrapped it around the both of them, curling into his side as she sipped her chocolate. "I just want to stop feeling so cold. When Harden was taking me out into the woods that night, it was so foggy. My clothes were soaking wet, my hair was wet, and I was just so fucking cold. I didn't think I'd ever be warm again."

"I was talking to the boys the night you were brought into the hospital," he remembered. "Espo said that even now when it's really cold, he gets taken back to that night when he and Ryan were taken by Lockwood. He said that he can still feel the cold of that night."

"So, this is going to be my new normal?"

"I don't know. Maybe Burke can help you with that." They both jumped when the house phone rang. "It's probably my mother or Alexis making sure that we arrived all right." He got up and walked over to the phone, glancing back at Kate when he saw the caller id. "It's the precinct. Hello?" He answered the phone.

"Mr. Castle, may I speak to Det. Beckett, please?" Capt. Gates' voice came over the line.

"One moment, please. It's Gates," he whispered as he held the phone out to her.

"Hello?" Kate's voice was leery as she spoke to her captain.

"Det. Beckett, I'm sorry to be calling you like this, but we got a hit on the name Future Forward."

"What is it?" She sat up a little straighter as Castle gave her a look.

"It appears to be some kind of a political fund raising organization. It belongs to Senator William Bracken," Kate's face went pale as Castle sat down beside her. "Det. Beckett, I've spoken to Detectives Ryan and Esposito. They've filled me in regarding your history with the senator. Let me just say that things make more sense now."

"Sir—"

"Detective, in light of what we've learned regarding Future Forward, I'm thinking that it's about time that we reopened the investigation into your mother's murder."

**A/N #3: Ha! I bet you didn't see that last sentence coming, did you? Neither did I until the night before I planned to write it. That's just how I roll. But the truth is, I've wondered why no one has suggested reopening Johanna Beckett's case on the show.**

**A/N #4: I want to thank Kathy (Blondezilla90) and Ritutsch for help with Tori's last name. I guess I never paid attention since I'm an Esplanie shipper.**

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	5. Chapter 5--Beckett in Wonderland

**DISCLAIMERS: No, I still don't own anything.**

**SUMMARY: Castle fears that Beckett is once again falling down the rabbit hole when the investigation into her mother's murder is reopened. This chapter will be M-rated.**

**A/N #1: I realize that I explored Bracken in my story 'That is True Love.' However, this story is going to go in a completely different direction. I will do my best not to repeat events of the former story.**

Chapter 5: Beckett in Wonderland

"Det. Beckett, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she finally managed to stammer out before she got up and went over to the phone base and pressed the button for the speaker. "I just put you on speaker. Can you repeat what you just told me?"

"We got a hit on Future Forward," Gates' voice came over the speakerphone. "It's an organization that is responsible for raising money for Senator William Bracken to make a bid for the presidency in 2016."

"Sir, you said that Ryan and Esposito told you about my history with Bracken. What exactly did they tell you?"

"They told me that you suspect that he ordered the murder of your mother. They said that you found evidence of this while you were on suspension two years ago. Does this have anything to do with the death of Cole Maddox?"

"He died looking for the same files that we were looking for. The files blew up before he was able to get them."

"But you were able to piece the file back together?"

"No, sir. We were able to piece together part of a money order that led to Sen. Bracken. It's a long story, sir, one that I'd rather not go into over the telephone."

"Can you come back into the city tomorrow?"

Kate looked at Castle, who nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll be there first thing in the morning. Will you repeat the rest of what you told me regarding my mother's murder?"

"I think that we need to reopen the investigation into what happened to your mother. If Bracken is involved, we need to find a way to bring him down. I'll see you and Mr. Castle in the morning, detective."

"Yes, sir."

Kate hung up and took a deep breath before she started pacing around the room, running a hand through her hair. "Kate?"

"I want to take him down, Castle. I want the whole story about what happened to my mother to be known. But, I worry about what it's going to do to my dad. He took her death so hard," she remembered.

"What about you? What is it going to do to you, Kate? I've watched you struggle with this for more than five years. In the last year since we've been together, you've put it on the back burner, but I know that it's always there, just below the surface."

"You know how I used to tell you that I was in control?" She reminded him as he nodded. "I'm not in control, Castle. I'm spiraling so badly right now. In the last 10 minutes I feel as if my life has gone into a complete tailspin."

He walked over and took her into his arms, feeling her hands fist into his shirt and her chin burrow into his shoulder. Right now, she felt like that scared 19-year-old that she'd been on that cold January night so long ago. But unlike that night, now she had a lifeline, an anchor in the stormy sea that was her life. Castle kept her grounded; he reminded her over and over that it was possible to laugh again, to love. That she no longer had to feel guilty about being happy. "Did you want to call your dad and warn him?"

"I'll talk to him tomorrow after we talk to Gates and the boys."

"Let me check on the soup," he kissed her on the forehead.

***CCC***

"_You're just like your mama. Both playing in a world where you don't belong. Your mama paid for it with her life. So will you."_

"_No, please leave me alone," Kate begged, struggling against the strong arms that were holding her. _

_She screamed and thrashed as her head was pushed under the ice water. _

_She managed to break free and run for the stairs. She threw opened the doors, breathing in the sweet smells of freedom. But something was wrong. Why was she still under water?_

Castle woke up to the sounds of Kate screaming. He bolted upright and reached for her, only to find her side of the bed empty. He looked over at the French doors, which were standing wide open, letting in cold and freezing rain. Listening, he soon realized that's where the screams were coming from. He leaped out of bed and ran outside where he found Kate screaming into the storm that was raging outside.

"Kate!" He grabbed her as she turned into him, hitting at him and still screaming. "Kate, wake up!"

She stopped screaming and looked around, surprised that she was on the master bedroom patio. It was pouring rain and now both she and Castle were soaked. "Castle? What am I doing out here?"

"Let's go inside," he gently guided her back into the bedroom, closing the doors and locking them. He then led her into the bathroom where he grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack and began drying her off. "It's a pretty safe bet that you were having a nightmare."

"I was trying to get away. But there was just more water."

"You need a warm shower." 

"No," she pushed away from him and went back into their bedroom, removing clothes from the closet as he followed her. "Why are you just standing there, Castle? We have to get dressed and go talk to Gates. Anyway, you're dripping all over the place."

He didn't say anything. He just went back into the bathroom and stripped out of his clothes before stepping into the shower. He could feel her pushing him away. He had hoped that coming to the Hamptons would help, but so far, she seemed more upset than she had when they were at the loft. He knew that most of this was due to the news regarding her mother's case. It was days like this when he regretted asking Esposito for Johanna Beckett's murder file. Days when he wished that he had left well enough alone.

When he walked downstairs after his shower, he found Kate staring out of the doors at the storm that was still raging outside. "Today would be a perfect day to sit by the fire, and watch movies," he walked over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Maybe when we get home," she placed her hands over his. "Or, maybe we could do something else."

"Something else sounds nice," he kissed her neck. "I'm going to go and bring the car around."

"Castle, I'm not made of sugar. I don't melt."

"You've been out in the cold and rain enough for one day. I'll bring the car around," he repeated.

Grabbing the umbrella from the stand by the door, he walked outside to the detached garage. Kate continued standing by the doors when she heard the front door close behind him. The falling rain matched her mood. She wasn't sure how she felt about going back in time once again. But maybe this time they could find enough evidence to put Bracken away once and for all.

She walked out of the front door just as Castle pulled up in the Mercedes. She quickly got in and buckled her seat belt as they began the long drive back into New York City.

***CCC***

Capt. Gates began her morning by calling the state capitol. Her message was answered within minutes. "What can I do for you, Captain?" Senator William Bracken's voice came over the line.

"My homicide team is in the middle of an active investigation and we have discovered something that we need your help with," Gates told the man on the other end of the line. "Would you be able to come in this afternoon?"

"I am afraid that I'm going to be in meetings almost all of today. However, I can come in tomorrow morning to speak with you. How about eight o'clock?"

"That would be fine. I look forward to meeting with you, Senator," Gates said as she ended the call. She'd no sooner hung up than she heard a knock on her office door. "Come in!" The door opened and Kate walked in, followed by Castle.

Before she sat down, Kate held out a plastic Ziploc bag. "This is what we were able to piece together from the money order that we discovered in that abandoned building. I've been keeping this in a safe place until the time came when I needed it."

"I know that this is difficult for you, Kate," the captain's expression was sorrowful. "The last thing that I want to do is to cause you and your father more pain. Have you talked to him?"

"No, not yet."

"Did your mother have any kind of an association with Bracken?"

"I'm not sure. My mother was a civil rights attorney and at the time of her murder, he was the District Attorney. She was handling an appeal for a mobster named Pulgatti. He was in prison accused of killing an FBI agent named Bob Armen. Someone didn't want her and her colleagues handling this appeal. I believe that's why they were all murdered."

"These colleagues were Diane Cavanaugh, Jennifer Stewart and Scott Murray?" Gates asked as Kate nodded. "I've spoken to Dr. Parrish. She told me that the original M.E. either didn't see the connection or was aware of them and covered them up. We'll never know which since the original M.E. has been dead for several years. Tell me about the lead investigator, John Raglan."

"He was ordered to write my mother's murder off as random gang violence."

"Ordered by Bracken?"

"I don't really know. He was murdered before I was able to find out who ordered the cover-up."

"How were he, Gary McCallister, Roy Montgomery, Hal Lockwood, and Cole Maddox connected?"

"McCallister was Raglan's partner. I don't know if they knew Lockwood or Maddox. I believe that they were hired by Bracken. The night that Roy died, he told me that he was the one who killed Armen that night. It was an accident. But Raglan and McCallister helped to cover it up. From what Ryan and Esposito were able to find out, Roy was a rookie cop who hung with the two of them back in the day."

"Like I said, I'm not interested in tarnishing Roy Montgomery. His sins are in the past. What I am interested in is getting justice for the victim. In that respect, I'm like you, Beckett. Like you, I want to know why Senator Bracken hired Dick Coonan to kill your mother and her colleagues, if he is guilty. Because, like everybody else, he is innocent until proven guilty. If he was in cahoots with killers like Lockwood and Maddox, again, I want to know why. I want you to let me and your team handle this investigation," she said as Kate started to protest. "That's an order, detective. You're too close to this. Go back to the Hamptons and let yourself heal. I promise that we will keep you apprised as to our progress."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing that her lead detective was highly emotional, Gates was torn between being a mother and being a captain. "Det. Beckett . . . Kate, believe me when I tell you that I'm going to get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing that I do. And I know that Ryan and Esposito feel the exact same way. We're family and families take care of each other."

"Thank you, sir."

"Go and talk to your father. Because I've scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. I was hoping to do it today, but Bracken isn't coming in until tomorrow and I don't want him to know what our game plan is and start destroying evidence. I don't want your father to learn about this in the media."

"Thank you, sir."

When Kate stepped out into the bullpen with Castle, for some reason her mind flashed back to that afternoon more than four years before when Dick Coonan had a gun stuck in Castle's liver, threatening to kill him. She had the man who had killed her mother right in front of her and she just wanted to know who had hired him and why. Why did her mother have to die that night? But she'd been forced to kill him before getting the answers that she wanted. It would be another two years before she got the name that she'd been seeking. Everybody had told her that he was untouchable. But Kate knew differently. In her opinion, nobody was above the law. Even if the president himself had ordered these murders, she'd find a way to bring him down. She knew that her team felt the same way.

"Kate? Beckett?" She turned to find Castle carefully watching her. "Are you okay?"

"Let's go and meet my father."

It was raining harder than ever when they pulled out of the 12th Precinct parking garage and into Manhattan traffic. The rain perfectly matched Kate's mood. She just wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere and cry. "I know that you're hurting," Castle's voice broke through the quiet in the car.

"It's just not going to change anything, Rick. It's not going to bring my mom back. It's not going to ease my father's grief. Nothing is going to change," she repeated, wiping at her face.

"Hopefully we can close this chapter of your life and we can move on. We can continue to plan a beautiful life together."

"I'd like that," she finally smiled for the first time that morning.

They walked into Jim Beckett's favorite diner 20 minutes later; Kate having managed to pull herself together so that her dad wouldn't know how upset she was. "Hi, Katie," Jim hugged his daughter before shaking Castle's hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm still sore, but it's getting a little better," they took seats in the booth as Jim's usual waitress came over and took their orders.

"So, what's going on? When you called me, it sounded important."

"Dad, we think that I might've been sent on that assignment on purpose. We have reasons to believe that the person behind mom's murder is working with the man who tried to kill me. Capt. Gates has made the decision to reopen the investigation into mom's murder."

"Why? I thought that you shot and killed the man who killed her," Jim reminded her.

"I did, but we have to cut the head off of the dragon, dad. Coonan was only the tail. Don't you want to know why?"

"Katie, I spent years in a drunken stupor asking myself why," Jim's voice was rough with emotion. "When I was in rehab, I finally had to convince myself that the why didn't matter. Jo was gone. Nothing was going to bring her back. You and I had already lost so much."

"There's going to be a press conference tomorrow morning. At that time, Capt. Gates is going to announce that she's reopening the investigation. Dad, we're not the only families seeking closure. Diane, Jennifer, and Scott's families deserve justice, too."

"Are you sure that he can be brought down?"

"Gates seems to think so. She has resources from her days in IAB. I've got to go to the ladies room," she got up and made her way to the restrooms at the back of the restaurant.

"How is she, Rick?"

"She's struggling," he admitted. "It's been a while since I've seen her shaken like this."

"Don't let her shut down, Rick."

"I'm not," Castle assured him as Kate came back to the table. "Are you about ready to head back to the house?" He asked her as she nodded.

"You two be careful driving back out there. Katie, I'll talk to you in a day or two," Jim kissed Kate on the forehead before giving her a tight hug. "Let Rick take care of you."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too."

The rain let up slightly as Castle headed back toward the beach house, but the roads were still extremely wet. Kate noticed that Castle kept glancing over at her, so she decided to put an end to his worrying. "I'm okay, Castle. You can stop glancing over at me like I'm going to start screaming in the middle of the LIE."

"Sorry."

Kate leaned her head against the cool glass of the car window and closed her eyes, trying to erase too many memories. Memories of coming home from dinner with her father, chatting and laughing until they saw the strange man on their front porch. Standing by her mother's graveside, not hearing a word that the priest said. Crying until she thought she'd run out of tears. Coming from classes or studying to find her father passed out drunk on the sofa, or the bathroom floor, or by his and her mother's bed. Listening to him shouting at her when she begged him to please get help. Memories of how her heart felt like breaking the night that they'd fought and he'd shouted at her about how he'd wished that it had been her that had died that night.

She forced her mind to focus on happier memories. The day that she'd graduated from the academy, when she'd received her detective's shield. She sneaked a glance over at Castle, remembering the night that they'd made love for the first time. Remembering all of the times that they'd made love since. She remembered standing on that bomb scared that she was going to die, but knowing that she had to tell him that she loved him. That memory brought her to the letter that was still in her purse. The letter where she had poured her heart out regarding Castle.

An hour later, Castle pulled up in front of the house and shut off the engine. "I'll put the car in the garage later. Let's go inside and warm up."

"Okay," she gave him a huge bright smile.

After hanging their jackets up, Castle walked over and started a fire in the fireplace. He then walked over to the bar and poured each of them glasses of Scotch. "I know it's a little early in the day, but I have a feeling that you could use this," he handed her the cut crystal glass.

"Thanks," she swirled the amber liquid in the glass before sitting down on the sofa.

"You know, I was thinking," he stopped talking when Kate glanced at him, "if you're worried about your father, maybe I could invite him to stay out here."

"That's really sweet, but he'd never accept. For one thing, he won't take off from work. I'll talk to him every day."

"Will you be able to tell—"

"Yeah, I'll be able to tell," she took a drink, feeling the burn in her throat.

"It was rough, huh?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Castle."

Castle looked outside at the dark gray clouds that permeated the sky and then at his fiancée, who seemed to be fighting her past demons. He put his glass on an end table and left the room, returning moments later with two quilts. He spread them out on the floor as Kate watched him curiously. "What're you doing, Castle?"

He pulled several cushions off of the sofa before patting the floor beside him. "Sit beside me."

She placed her glass beside his before sliding off of the sofa and onto the floor next to Castle. She sat as close to him as she could get, losing herself into the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. She moved closer and kissed him, tasting Scotch and incredible warmth as the kiss deepened. She moaned into his mouth when his tongue swept the inside of her mouth. She had wanted him for days since waking up in the hospital after being rescued. He'd held himself back since she'd been so badly battered. But she wasn't about to let him hold back any longer.

He withdrew his lips from hers only to have her come chasing after him for more. She pushed him over onto the cushions as she fell with him, landing somewhat clumsily on his chest as she felt his arms come around her, holding her securely to him.

Kate placed hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses all along Castle's jaw-line, throat, and neck before reaching her fingers down to unbutton his shirt. He found it hard to breathe at the feel of her lips traveling down his chest and torso. This hadn't been his plan, he kept telling himself. He had wanted to make love to her, but then he decided that he could definitely go along with Plan B. Plan B was feeling very hot, so far. "Shit, Kate," he managed to croak when he felt her trace her tongue along his belly button. His eyes slammed shut when he felt her fingers inside the top of his slacks, flicking open the button before slowing pulling on the zipper tab.

"Raise up, Castle," she instructed as she tugged on his slacks and boxers. When she got to his shoes, she quickly removed them along with his socks before completely removing his pants. She wrapped her hand around his growing erection, swiping her tongue up one side and down the other, feeling him visibly shudder under her.

Castle couldn't contain the sounds that were pouring from his mouth at the feel of Kate's tongue delicately ghosting over his hardness, her hands stroking at the same time. Finally he felt her take his length into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his tip. He tried to reach down, but she slapped his hand away. "Kate," he growled her name as she just sucked harder. "Shit. Not gonna last."

Kate smiled around him. She loved the feeling of him in her mouth. The warmth, the slight saltiness, the incredible feel of him as he pulsed against her tongue. She reached down and lightly caressed his balls with her fingers, feeling Castle once again arch under her, moaning her name along with several creative expletives. She pulled off of him, stroking him with her hands before going back down on him. She felt him getting bigger before he came with a loud cry into her mouth.

She cleaned him off with her mouth before moving back up his body. She reached across him for her glass of Scotch, tagging a drink before kissing him, her tongue seeking entrance into his mouth. "Wow, you are amazing," his eyes were slightly glazed over with lust when they broke apart. "There's only one small problem."

"Only one?" She ran her nails down his chest.

"You're wearing far too many clothes," he touched the shirt that she was wearing.

"Well, if I remember correctly, you're quite good at remedying that situation," she kissed his neck.

"Yes, I am," he pulled her onto his chest, happy that she seemed to be in a lighter mood. He brushed her hair back from her shoulders before drawing her down to him for another long kiss.

Their lips were still fused together when Castle rolled them so that Kate was now lying on the cushions with him cradled against her. "Cold?" He asked her, his voice rough with desire.

"Uh-uh," she smiled up at him. "We have a roaring fire, I'm still wearing _all _of my clothes and I have about 220 pounds of Richard Castle lying on top of me. Believe me, I'm definitely _not _cold. However, I am a lot of other things."

He gave her a huge smile before reclaiming her lips with his own once again. He snaked his hand under the pullover shirt that she was wearing, reaching up to cup her breast through her bra as she moaned her approval. Still caressing her clothed breasts, he moved down to suck on her pulse point, which earned him another moan along with a calf hooking around his bare leg. He could feel her nipples hardening against his fingers and decided that it was time to start divesting Kate of some of her clothes.

He sat up and pulled away, smiling at her whimper of loss. First he removed the shirt that he was still wearing before hooking his fingers into the hem of Kate's shirt and raising it toward her head. She moved up enough to assist him before lying down on the cushions once again. He then moved his fingers to the front closure of her bra, removing it, as well. He traced his fingers along the bruises that had appeared near her ribs. "If you get too sore, you'll tell me, won't you?"

"Castle, I sought you out after almost falling off of a roof, remember? I was far more sore that night than I am now. Believe me, I'm okay. But, I will say something if I'm not," she assured him when she saw his eyes darken. "Now, can you please get me out of the rest of my clothes?"

She reached up and looped her arms around his neck, bringing him back down to her, settling her lips over his, soothing his worries with soft, gentle kisses. Convinced that she was really okay, Castle began placing soft kisses all along her cheek, gradually moving down to her long neck, before moving lower still. "Castle, yes!" She hissed when she felt his lips close around her breast, his tongue swirling around the swollen nub, lips and teeth gently sucking and pulling. Kate could feel his fingers caressing the scar by her left breast, gently tracing the puckered tissue as he always did from that very first time they'd ever made love. His fingers eventually left the scar and moved to her left breast, his fingers pinching and brushing over her nipple while he continued paying homage to her other breast. But soon he decided that her other breast deserved the same attention so he switched, feeling Kate's fingers thread themselves into his hair, holding him closer, her breathing growing harsher, the sounds that she was making enough to drive him crazy.

Sitting up once again, smiling down at Kate, who's chest was heaving with arousal, her breasts glistening with his saliva, he moved down to remove her boots and socks, tossing them behind him toward the French doors. He continued smiling when he saw her biting her lip as she watched him move his fingers up to the top of her slacks. But instead of pulling them off like she expected him to, instead he moved his fingers down to the crotch of her pants, pressing his fingers against her as she arched and tried to press herself harder into him. His thumb pressed harder as she let out a strangled groan. Finally, he moved his fingers up and tugged her slacks and panties down her legs, leaving her naked and wanting.

Letting his fingers trail up and down her long legs, he watched Kate's face. She knew that he loved her legs. They had had many conversations about just how much he loved her legs. Cuffed together in a basement, he'd even told her how much he respected her legs. But now that he'd felt those legs wrap around him when they made love or when they shared a bath, he loved them even more.

Kate watched him watching her and it was just so _hot_. His fingers were tracing patterns on the insides of her thighs, touching her everywhere but where she wanted him. She wanted to feel him between her legs. She wanted to feel his lips and tongue turn her into a mass of quivering, screaming goo. But apparently right now, he was content just to tease and drive her crazy. She couldn't breathe for wanting him so badly.

Castle continued watching her. He knew her body better than she did sometimes and he knew exactly how to drive her insane. He knew how wet she was. He could feel the heat radiating from her core as he stroked her thighs. But he loved watching her. He loved the color change in her eyes from forest green to muddy brown. He loved the way that her breathing would change and her skin would flush with arousal. He loved that she'd bite her lip to keep herself from begging.

But as much as he loved watching her, he also loved listening to her come completely undone under him. He moved back to her breasts, teasing them once again as his hand continued stroking and kneading her thighs. He smiled at her whimper of anticipation when he began moving his way down her body, his tongue blazing a wet, hot trail.

Kate threw her head back, closing her eyes tightly against the feeling of Castle's lips kissing her everywhere. She'd never had any man pay so much attention to her body in her life. Somehow she'd always known that sex with him would be mind-blowing and he had yet to disappoint her. They were both so in synch with each other just as they were in every other aspect of their lives.

'Please, please,' the voice in her head began begging as he moved lower. 'Come on, Castle. A little more.' Finally, she bit back a sharp scream when she felt his mouth on her core.

She wanted harder, more contact, but Castle was being more leisurely, softly caressing her swollen flesh with his lips and tongue, not allowing her to peak just yet. He was avoiding her swollen clit, instead focusing on everything else. "Castle, please!" She finally begged him, desperate to come.

"Shhh," she felt the vibrations against her skin. "Stop. Relax. I promise that I'll make it all worth it."

He kept up the gentle ministrations for the better part of half an hour, bringing her to peak after exquisite peak, but slowing down before she could fall over the pinnacle. They were both sweat soaked, not only from extreme sexual arousal, but also from the fire that was burning in the fireplace.

Finally, just when she thought that she couldn't take another second of torment, she felt Castle's tongue clamp over her clit and she exploded with several loud screams and his name being repeated over and over. It seemed to take hours for the aftershocks to fade. She could feel Castle's fingers on her, gradually bringing her down from her orgasm. Every bone in her body felt like it had melted when she felt his lips moving back up her body. She could taste herself on him as they shared a long, languid kiss. "I need to go take a cold shower."

"I think I can take care of that for you," she reached down to caress his length.

"Later," he kissed her again. "You look exhausted."

"I wonder why. Could it be because my fiancé just finished going down on me like I was his last meal? We can take things very slowly again."

"So, did slow work for you?" He kissed her once again.

"Yeah, slow worked really well."

A short time later, they were both cuddled under one of the quilts in front of the fire, sated and sleepy. The rain had once again started falling outside of the windows, followed by rumbles of thunder in the distance. "Are you okay?" He whispered into her hair.

"I'm deliciously sore."

"I'm glad, but that's not what I'm talking about."

She sat up and propped herself on his chest. "If you mean, am I okay not being in the loop regarding the new investigation, the answer is no. But I'm too close to it, Castle. Like Roy told me once, I want to take those scissors and run around the house with them. I trust Gates and the boys. If anybody can get my mom justice, it's going to be them. Will I fall down the rabbit hole again? Possibly."

"I won't let you fall, Kate. If you need me to be there, I'm there. If you need space, I'll step away. Whatever you need."

"I know," she once again lay with her head on his chest, feeling him caress her bare back. "This is nice. Maybe we should get married out here."

"Maybe we should," he agreed.

***CCC***

"What is going on, Fowler? Why do I have to talk to Beckett's captain tomorrow morning? I thought that you were going to take care of this," the voice snarled over the line.

"Well, forgive me for saying this, but if your henchman had taken care of Beckett like he was supposed to, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," Fowler volleyed back. "Beckett's a loose end that you can't afford. You knew that a long time ago. She's as obsessed as her mother was."

"Don't worry about loose ends. I've got that all taken care of," he glanced at his watch before ending the call.

Fowler angrily stuffed his cell phone back into his shirt pocket and headed for the kitchen to get a beer. He never saw the shadowy figure standing by his kitchen doorway and he never felt the sharp blade that quickly slashed across his throat.

Elena Markov took a few seconds to stare down at the man who was lying in a rapidly widening pool of his own blood before slipping into the darkness the same way that she'd entered Fowler's home. Once a safe distance away, she took out her phone and hit the number. "It's done," was all she said before disconnecting the call and disappearing into the ether.

**A/N #2: And so it begins. In the next chapter, Gates begins the search for answers.**

**A/N #3: I want to thank my Unmuse, Chuck, for the last part of this chapter. He told me last night that it needed a different ending. And he was right. So, here's your writer's credit, babe. (He hates it when I call him that.)**

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	6. Chapter 6--Reopening Old Wounds

**Disclaimers: No, I still don't own 'Castle.'**

**Summary: Gates begins the investigation, while in the Hamptons; Kate and Castle spend the day in South Hampton as Castle attempts to keep Kate away from her mother's murder investigation.**

**A/N #1: Chief Brady, from 'Murder, He Wrote' will be making a brief appearance in this chapter.**

Chapter 6: Reopening Old Wounds

Kate had never seen so many stars, outside of the summers that she'd spent at her father's cabin, both as a child and after she'd been shot. Castle's property at the Hamptons was truly beautiful. It was early in the morning and she'd been sitting on the porch swing on the back porch for almost an hour, being unable to sleep.

The day before after taking a short nap in front of the fireplace, they had gotten up and taken a shower together before eating dinner and going to bed early. Kate had only slept for a few hours before waking up. She had laid awake, watching Castle sleep for a long time before getting out of bed and going downstairs. After making a cup of tea, she'd crept out onto the back porch and settled in the swing. The March night was cool, but not uncomfortably so. She slowly rocked the swing, listening to the sound of the pounding Atlantic surf in the distance.

She winced at the soreness in her knees. Examining them closely, she noticed the bruises that were starting to appear, courtesy of her tumble down the hill during her captivity. All of the soreness seemed to be at its peak. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and stifled a yawn just as the door opened and Castle sleepily stumbled outside. "Are you okay?" He walked over and sat beside her on the swing.

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Then I'm failing miserably in my amorous attentions," he kissed the top of her head.

"No, you're not, believe me," she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Are you still worried about your dad? Because if you are, my offer still stands."

"I think he'll be okay. He has a really strong support system in place. I just want to be there to see his face when Gates starts questioning him," she said, referring to Bracken.

"You need to let Gates and the boys take care of this, Kate."

"I know. It's beautiful out here, Castle," she changed the subject. "You never see this many stars in the city."

"When Alexis was little, sometimes we'd bring blankets out and lie in the middle of the yard. Of course, in the summer, we'd get eaten by mosquitoes."

She smiled as she continued resting her head against him. She loved hearing stories about him raising Alexis. He was the most wonderful father. While she wanted to start having babies with him, something else was concerning her. "Rick, I'm scared."

"What're you afraid of?" He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "You're safe here, Kate. None of the players know that you're here."

"That isn't what I'm scared of. I'm afraid to bring a child into this. I mean, we're capable of taking care of ourselves. But what if we can't protect our children from him?"

"Kate, Gates and the boys are going to get him. I know that this is a stupid thing to say, but I don't want you to worry about this. I want you to rest and heal. Please let me take care of you."

"I have a better idea," her lips glossed over his. "Why don't we take care of each other?"

"Okay," he smiled. "I have an idea. Why don't we get up in the morning and have breakfast in South Hampton? Then I can show you all of my favorite places."

"I'd like that," she smiled.

"But, for right now, let's go back to bed. It's three o'clock in the morning." He stood up and held his hand out to her as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her back into the house and back to bed.

***CCC***

"Ryan, Esposito!" Gates called as she came out of her office shortly after seven a.m. "I want the two of you to notify the families of Diane Cavanaugh, Jennifer Stewart, and Scott Murray. Let them know what's going on and that there will be a press conference this morning at 10 a.m. Find out if they were aware of what their loved ones were working on. I want whatever you can learn, no matter how trivial it might seem."

"Yes, sir," both men answered.

Returning to her office, Capt. Gates gathered up the evidence that she intended to show to Sen. William Bracken and his attorney, Michael Danko. She had received a call from Mr. Danko at seven, telling her that they were on their way to the precinct. She felt like banging her head against a brick wall. All that she had was pieces of a money order that had been traced back to Bracken, but she knew that could be for anything. There was nothing to connect Bracken to Dick Coonan, the man who had killed Kate Beckett's mother. There was also nothing connecting him to either Hal Lockwood, or Cole Maddox. Of course, she was also fairly certain that Lockwood and Maddox's names were aliases. There was no indication that any of the three dead cops had known Bracken. It was like a maze without a beginning or an end. All that Gates had was a middle and a story that had been told to her by one of her detectives. A woman who had been seeking justice for a murdered mother for the past 15 years.

But she also had Future Forward. A political super-PAC created by an attorney that Beckett had been sent to assassinate when she was undercover as Elena Markov. Gates knew that she needed to talk to Beckett again, but she knew with her detective's history of PTSD, she needed to tread carefully. The phone buzzed on her desk, breaking her reverie. "Gates," she said into the phone.

"Captain, its Tori. I think I've found something that you need to see."

"I'll be right there."

When she approached Tori, the young video/computer tech was staring at her computer screen. "I went back into Bracken's past via pictures and video, as you requested, and this is what I found. This picture was from a fundraiser in October of last year."

Gates looked at the picture which showed Bracken, his wife, and a very familiar face. "That's Capt. Fowler," Gates looked at Tori, who slowly nodded.

"That isn't the only photo I found of the two of them together. This one is from the summer of 2002 and this is from 2006. But this one is the most interesting. It is from February of 2011, shortly after Det. Beckett had the run-in with Simmons in interrogation."

Gates looked at the picture that clearly showed Bracken, Fowler, and Vulcan Simmons. "Thank you, Ms. Ellis. Let me know if you find anything else." Walking back toward her office with the pictures in her hand, Gates made a phone call. "Capt. Fowler, this is Capt. Gates. Call me back the moment that you get this message!"

Sen. Bracken and his attorney arrived promptly at eight. Ryan and Esposito watched from their telephones as the two men followed Gates to a conference room. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that interview," Ryan whispered to Esposito.

"So would Beckett, I'm sure," Espo answered back, returning to his phone call. "Mrs. Cavanaugh, this is Det. Javier Esposito from the NYPD. I have some questions about your daughter Diane's murder. Yes, ma'am. It's complicated and it would be better if we were able to discuss this in person. Yes, ma'am. My partner and I can be there in 20 minutes," Espo looked over at Ryan, who nodded ascent. "Thank you."

In the conference room, after offering both men coffee, Capt. Gates sat down and immediately got down to business, knowing that she was probably talking to Bracken for the last time. "We were working an investigation three nights ago and the name Future Forward came to our attention. Does that name ring a bell to you?"

"No, I have to say that it doesn't."

"That's funny, because our computer tech discovered that Future Forward is a political Super-PAC that was created by Evan Potter. Do you know Mr. Potter?"

"The name sounds familiar, but I'm not sure in what capacity. Captain, there are a lot of super-PAC's out there. A lot of people in public office use them. What exactly does this Super-PAC have to do with me?"

"Do you know a narcotics detective by the name of John Fowler?"

"No," Bracken sat back in his chair with a bored expression on his face.

"How about Vulcan Simmons?"

"Again, no."

"That's funny, because you look awfully chummy with the two of them in the picture," Gates slid a picture across that table that showed Bracken at a political function laughing it up with both men.

"Capt. Gates, my client does several functions a year. He has his picture taken with literally hundreds of people at these functions. How do you know that this picture wasn't just a photo op?"

"Because I have three other photos of your client with Capt. Fowler. The oldest one dates from 2002. That isn't a coincidence. You don't get your picture taken at political functions with the same person that many times unless there's a relationship. How do you know Capt. Fowler?" 

"I had dealings with him when I was in the district attorney's office. I prosecuted several narcotics cases where he was the detective of record."

"Is that how you know Vulcan Simmons? Was he one of the cases that you prosecuted?"

"Possibly. I really don't remember."

"Sen. Bracken, Vulcan Simmons is the main drug supplier for Washington Heights. I'm sure that if you prosecuted him, you'd remember." 

"Captain, do you have any idea how many cases I prosecuted when I worked in the D.A.'s office? I don't remember every case that I prosecuted. Nobody could."

"Did you ever go against a civil rights attorney named Johanna Beckett?"

"No, I didn't work civil rights cases, but I'm familiar with Mrs. Beckett."

"How so?" Gates' radar perked up.

"Because her daughter came to me over a year ago and accused me of hiring the man who murdered her. Isn't that why I'm here?"

Gates was momentarily taken by surprise, but thinking about it, she knew that Bracken had to know why he was being called in. Especially if he was Lazarus, as Beckett believed him to be. She realized that the senator was here trying to find out what they knew. For that reason, she decided to keep some evidence held back for the time being.

"So you had met with Det. Beckett before the attempt on your life?"

"Yes, a few months before. This scar," he pointed to a scar on his right cheek, "is courtesy of Det. Beckett hitting me with the butt of her gun. She has quite a temper."

"So, you didn't hire Dick Coonan to stab Johanna Beckett and her three colleagues in 1999?"

"No, I didn't. I'm a politician, Captain, not a ruthless gangster."

"You could say that sometimes they're one and the same."

"Is there anything else, Captain?" Mr. Danko asked. "Because, if not, the senator has a luncheon that he needs to get back to DC for."

"There's just one more thing," Gates stood up and smoothed her hand over her skirt. "There's going to be a press conference this morning at 10 a.m. You might want to go online to listen to it. You'll find it quite enlightening."

"Perhaps I will," Bracken and his lawyer stood up and left the conference room. "If you have any more questions, you know how to find me."

'Smug son of a bitch,' Gates muttered under her breath, watching the two men board the elevator. She knew that when he was presented with the money order, his head was likely to explode.

***CCC***

"Oh my god, Castle! You have got to try this!" Sitting at a corner table in a small café in South Hampton, she held her fork out toward her fiancé.

"Oh, that has more cinnamon in it than should be allowed by law," he took the bite of French toast off of Kate's fork, chewing slowly.

They heard the bell above the door ring, followed seconds later by a familiar voice. "Mr. Castle? Det. Beckett?" They turned to find Chief of Police Brady walking over to their table. "I didn't know that the two of you were in town. Congratulations on your engagement. I read all about it in **The Ledger**."

"Thank you," Kate smiled brightly.

"Ooh, Det. Beckett," he looked at the scraped bruised area above Kate's eye. "I hope that the other guy looks worse."

"He does," she looked at Castle, begging him with her eyes not to elaborate on her injury.

"So, how have you two been? You haven't had any more bodies falling into your pool, have you?" Brady couldn't help but tease.

"No, no bodies. We're just in town for a few days."

"Will you be here for the South Hampton Regatta this weekend?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Castle looked over at Kate, who nodded in agreement.

"Well, I have a to-go order to pick up, so maybe I'll see the two of you this weekend," Brady got up and left them alone.

"So, what's this regatta, Castle?"

"Oh, it's great. They set up various food booths and it concludes with a sailing competition. Speaking of which, have you ever been sailing?"

"Not in a long time. Do you sail?"

"No, but I have a lot of friends with boats. So, if you'd like, we could go out for the day."

"That sounds like fun, Castle. I'd love it," she reached over for his hand.

"I'll make some calls when we get home," he squeezed her fingers, rubbing his fingers over her engagement ring, thinking of the day when he'd be adding a simple platinum band to her finger, as well.

Holding her hand, he noticed that Kate seemed much more like herself during the day. She wasn't sleeping well. He knew that her sleep was plagued by nightmares and flashbacks. She was also worried about the news conference that was taking place in a little more than an hour. His plan was to keep her in town and away from a TV or Internet for the next several hours. He had their morning all mapped out and hoped that she'd enjoy what he had in store for them.

After breakfast, they began walking hand in hand through the town of South Hampton, looking in the windows of various shops. One of the shops that they stopped in front of was a bakery. Kate looked on in amusement as Castle peered at the front window display. "Castle, you can't possibly be hungry. You just ate a huge breakfast."

"I was just wondering if they do wedding cakes," he straightened up and turned to her with a huge grin on his face. "Would you be interested in doing a cake tasting?"

"I'd love to," she grinned back as he opened the door and held it for her to enter.

"Good morning," the cheerful young woman behind the counter greeted them with a friendly smile. "How may I help you this morning? We have fresh donuts, croissants, brioches—"

"Does your bakery make wedding cakes?" Castle asked as they walked up to the counter.

"Oh, yes! Do you have an idea of what you'd like? How many people would it be for?"

"Fifty people maybe," Kate looked at Castle, who nodded.

"I'll go get Henri," the girl disappeared from the back, returning moments later with a man in his early forties.

"Good morning, I am Henri, cake baker for South Hampton Bakery. I understand that you are interested in having a wedding cake designed."

"Yes, we are," Castle smiled after the baker shook both his and Kate's hand.

"When is the big day?"

Kate and Castle exchanged a look before turning back toward Henri. "We don't have an actual _date_, yet. But sometime in May probably," Kate said.

"Well, let's have a seat and we can talk about what the two of you want. Roxanne was telling me that the cake will need to feed about 50 people," Henri led them over to a table and took out a sketch pad and a pencil.

After deciding on a three-tier cake decorated with roses and ribbons, Henri disappeared into the back, returning moments later with a tray of different kinds of cakes. "I'll let you try these so that you can decide on a flavor for your cake."

"Castle, did you do this with either of your other two weddings?"

"I did it with Gina, but this is the first time I've actually wanted to participate in this kind of stuff," he gave her an adoring grin.

She leaned across the table and kissed him as Henri looked on. "I love you."

"Well, let's do this," Castle said as they both took one of the cakes.

Even though they'd both eaten a big breakfast, there was something fun about eating deliciously rich cakes at nine o'clock in the morning. "Oh, I like this one, Castle," Kate offered him a bite of lemon cake. "It's light, but I can't get enough of it."

"It's good, but I like this one. It's got a devil's food, red velvet vibe going on," he offered her a bite from the cake that he was eating.

"But we can have chocolate cake any time, Castle. I really don't want it at our wedding. Do you like the lemon one?"

"Nah, I'm not really feeling it," he shook his head.

Kate was a little disappointed, but she decided to keep tasting. After trying another couple of cakes, she took a bite of the last cake on her side of the table. She closed her eyes and took a second bite. "Oh wow," she sighed as she opened her eyes. "Castle, try this one. I can't even describe it. It melts in your mouth. And it tastes like . . . honey and cream."

It was rich and creamy. Sweet, but not overly so. Castle chewed slowly and swallowed. "That is divine. I believe that we might've found our cake. What do you call this, Henri?"

"It's my own special honey cake. It's my mother's recipe. It goes well with the vanilla butter cream frosting. So, you like it?"

"I love it," Kate grinned.

"You heard the lady. She loves it."

***CCC***

Capt. Gates shook hands with the families of Diane Cavanaugh, Jennifer Stewart, and Scott Murray. "I want to thank all of you for coming. After the press conference ends, I will take all of you into a conference room to discuss everything that we've found."

She then stepped in front of a bank of microphones and looked out over a sea of familiar faces from the local news stations as well as the newspapers. "Good morning," she said in a solemn voice as she began to read from a prepared statement. "I am going to read from a prepared statement. After that, our PIO, Sgt. Reed, will answer questions from the media. On January 9, 1999, attorney Johanna Beckett was found stabbed to death in an alley on the lower west side. This murder was followed by the murder of Diana Cavanaugh on March 7, 1999, and the murders of Jennifer Stewart and Scott Murray on May 21, 1999. At that time, members of the New York Police Department wrote off these murders as random acts of violence. In 2010, it was discovered that a man by the name of Dick Coonan was the real killer of these four individuals. However, it was also discovered that Mr. Coonan was part of a larger conspiracy. Due to evidence that has been uncovered in recent days, the murders of Mrs. Beckett, Ms. Cavanaugh, Ms. Stewart, and Mr. Murray are being reopened. A task force has been convened and will investigate these murders until all of the guilty parties are in custody. I will now turn the microphone over to Sgt. Reed. Thank you."

"Capt. Gates! Capt. Gates!" Different voices called out as she left the podium and walked toward the elevators with the families, Ryan, and Esposito in tow.

When they got back to the bullpen, Gates led all of the parties to a conference room and closed the doors. "First of all, I apologize for springing this on all of you at the last minute like this. The last thing that any of us want to do is bring you more pain. However, I also feel that a terrible injustice was done to all of you. My intention is to correct that injustice and bring you the justice and closure that all of you deserve."

"Captain Gates, Diane's father died asking himself every day what really happened to our daughter," Iris Cavanaugh spoke up. "We were always told that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You were told that because that was what the investigating detective wanted you to believe. It wasn't questioned for years because as we are all too aware of, everybody knows what a violent city New York is."

"Mrs. Cavanaugh, did Diane ever say what she was working on with Mrs. Beckett?" Ryan asked.

"Jennifer told me that they were working on an appeal to get a wrongfully convicted man a new trial," Garry Stewart, the brother of Jennifer spoke up. "I never learned the name of the man that they were working for. We weren't worried because Jen had worked on other cases with Mrs. Beckett and Ms. Cavanaugh before."

"Did Diane, Jennifer, or Scott ever bring anything home with them from the courthouse? Did you find anything after their deaths that you weren't sure about?" Gates asked.

"Yeah," Scott Murray's wife, Michelle, spoke up. "When I was going through Scott's briefcase, I found some pictures. They were just of an alley. I thought that he was just taking test shots with a new camera that he'd gotten for his birthday, but there was a note. I just put everything in a box and stored them."

"Do you still have the pictures and the note?" Gates asked.

"Yes. I stored them in a box and put them in the top of our closet. I can get them and bring them back up here when I leave."

"Do you remember what the note said?" Espo asked.

"I couldn't read the writing. It was as bad as a doctor's, but I knew that it wasn't Scott's."

"Where is Det. Beckett?" Ms. Cavanaugh asked.

"You know Det. Beckett?" Capt. Gates asked in surprise.

"We spoke several years ago. I think it was shortly after she became a detective. She was convinced that none of us were told the truth about how our loved ones died. I've thought of her often over the years. Is she still here?"

"She's still a detective, but she's on leave right now. Due to a conflict of interest, she won't be a part of the investigation. We promise that we will keep you apprised every step of the way."

"Capt. Gates, do you know the person who's behind the murders?" Garry Stewart asked.

"I'd rather not say at this time while the investigation is still active."

As soon as the meeting ended, Gates once again took out her cell phone and called Fowler's number once again, only to have it go straight to voice mail once again. "Capt. Fowler, I don't take being ignored very well. Either call me back or my next call is to the Chief of Detectives."

***CCC***

After leaving the bakery, Castle and Kate again began walking through the streets of South Hampton, window shopping along the way. Their walking finally led them to the town square, where Castle bought them both coffees before they walked over to a bench and sat down, watching people going about their regular lives. "Are you sure that you're okay with getting married here?" Kate took a sip of her coffee.

"Kate, I've done this before," he turned so that he could look at her. "You've told me on multiple occasions that this is the only time that you plan on doing this. I want to make this special for you. If you want to ride in on a carriage being pulled by six horses, then that's what we'll do. I've done one civil ceremony and one bells and whistles ceremony. Truthfully, I barely remember either one. But this time, I intend to memorize every single second."

Kate smiled before leaning forward to kiss him softly. "I do plan on doing this a second time, you know?"

"Really?" He stared at her in confusion.

"Yes. For our 50th anniversary when we renew our vows."

"Oh, I like that," they were getting lost in their kiss when his cell phone rang, interrupting the moment. He sighed as he took out his phone. "It's Espo," he told Kate as he answered it. "Castle."

"Bro, the re-investigation is underway. Did you see Gates' press conference?"

"No, we made a conscious decision to stay away from electronic media this morning," he looked at Kate.

"We'll keep you posted if we find anything new," Espo said as he ended the call.

"So, it's really starting?" Kate took a deep breath, watching Castle stow his phone away.

"Yeah. He said they'll keep us posted. Are you okay?"

"No," she shook her head. "Can we go back to the house?"

"Come on," he stood up and held his hand out to her.

**A/N #2: I know that cake tastings aren't impromptu like that, but this one was for the sake of the story.**

**A/N #3: I got the flavor for the cake from a Faye Kellerman book I read a few years ago called 'Milk and Honey.' **

**A/N #4: I took the name for Bracken's attorney from one of the characters of the other fan fiction universe that I write for. **

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

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	7. Chapter 7--Clinging to the Edge

**DISCLAIMERS: No, still not mine.**

**SUMMARY: As the investigation continues, Beckett feels herself spiraling out of control. Kate begins telling Castle about the house. This chapter will be M-rated for comfort lovemaking.**

**A/N #1: I want to thank my reviewers for the wonderful reviews so far. Thanks to all of you for putting me on your alerts list.**

Chapter 7: Clinging to the Edge

Kate was quiet during the ride home from town. Castle was beginning to worry about her. He knew that she'd talk to him when she was ready, but he also sensed that she was pulling herself away from him. He pulled the car up to the front of the house and turned off the engine. Kate was out of the car before he could come around to open the door for her, so he walked up and unlocked the front door.

"Do you want me to turn on the press conference? It should be online," Castle walked toward his office.

"I don't want to see it right now," she followed behind him. "I'm going to go for a walk. I just need some time to think."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need some space," she walked over and took his hands in both of hers. "I won't be gone long. When I get back, we'll talk." She pressed up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Take your phone with you please."

"I'll be back soon," she walked out of the back doors and softly closed them behind her.

Castle brought up his laptop and opened his email, seeing an email from Esposito with a link to the press conference. He watched it as well as the Q&A that took place afterwards. He was watching it a second time when his cell phone rang. He saw that it was the 12th Precinct. "Castle."

"Mr. Castle, this is Capt. Gates. How is Det. Beckett?"

"She's not doing very well at the moment and she hasn't even watched the press conference yet. Kate refers to it as falling down the rabbit hole. Right now, she's clinging to the edge of that hole."

"Mr. Castle, I don't even pretend to understand what she's going through. None of us can because we've never experienced that kind of loss. But she has to understand that until we get every member of this conspiracy, she's not going to be safe."

"Believe me; she's well aware of that. I think it just brings all of it back. Coming home to that detective on her front porch, watching her father self-destruct, being forced to kill the murderer in the precinct. I think it also reminds her of the person she was back then."

"Please ask her to call me when she gets a chance. I have a few more questions for her."

"Yes, sir," Castle pressed the 'End' button on his phone.

Kate loved the beach in front of Castle's house. In front of _their_ house, she mentally corrected herself. She wasn't crazy about the water at the moment, but she loved the solitude of the beach. During visits, she'd go out for a jog early in the morning before Castle woke up. But now she just wanted to sit and think, to clear the jumble of emotions in her head.

She found a place to sit on the sand, far enough from the water so that the sound didn't overwhelm her too badly. Her mind went back to so many conversations that she'd had over the years. But the one that came to her mind was when she'd talked to Castle about always having one foot out of the door. She had been that way for so long. It was just always easier to run and hide than to face up and let someone love her. It was as if she'd always felt that she didn't deserve to be loved fully and unconditionally.

But with Castle, she'd had both feet firmly planted almost from the very beginning. Rick knew all of her fears, all of her deepest, darkest secrets. He knew what made her laugh and what made her cry. He had stood by her during the worst of her PTSD attacks. She knew that he felt responsible for so many things. He felt responsible for her having to kill Dick Coonan, he felt responsible for the shooting in the cemetery. She knew that in his mind, if he'd never asked for that file that day, none of this would've happened.

But Kate didn't see it that way. If he hadn't asked for that file and told Lanie what he'd found, she never would've noticed the wound similarity between her mother and Jack Coonan. And they never would've arrested Dick Coonan, although she regretted being forced to kill him. But even now, she wasn't sure he would've given up Bracken.

She just wondered how deep this conspiracy went. What part did Vulcan Simmons play in all of this? And who else was involved?

Her phone chimed, signaling that she had a text. At first, she was slightly irritated, thinking that it was Castle, checking on her. But she saw instead that it was Lanie. **'Hey, girl. Javi told me about the press conference. Are you all right?'**

Kate waited several minutes before formulating a response. **'I'm ok. I'll talk to you soon.'**

A minute later, a response from Lanie. **'Girl, you had better not be running and hiding. Let Writer Boy take care of you. You know that he will.'**

'Running and hiding.' Two things that Kate had been doing for as long as she could remember. Before Castle had come along, she'd done little else. But Rick seemed to understand when she needed her space, unlike Will, and later Josh, who constantly needed some kind of reassurance when her moods got dark, which often happened. They needed reassurance that she still cared about them, that they hadn't done something to upset her. They didn't understand that she just needed space. Space to work things out in her head. Space to think about her mother in peace.

Her fingers went to the ring that hung on the chain around her neck. But she smiled when she remembered her morning with Rick in South Hampton. She loved how he so wanted this wedding to be special for her. But what he didn't realize was that she didn't need all of the bells and whistles. As long as he was standing at the altar, looking more handsome than she'd ever seen him in a dark suit, her day would be complete.

Her mother would have so loved this. Kate remembered looking at pictures of her parents' wedding when she was a little girl. The two of them smiling in each others' eyes at the altar, sharing their first kiss as husband and wife, their first dance, cutting the cake, all of the flowers. _'One day, you'll be a beautiful bride, too,' _she could hear her mother's voice telling her.

Like she'd told Rick after she'd gotten the dress from Matilda, her mother would've loved him. He was so sweet and so patient on the days when she could feel herself free falling. When she'd first met him, she never would've imagined that he could be the man that she was engaged to today. He had so many sides to his personality and Kate loved exploring all of them.

***CCC***

Castle was sitting in his office, fingers busily flying on his laptop when he heard the back door open and close. His first inclination was to go to Kate, but he knew that she'd come to him when she was ready.

Kate closed the back door and walked upstairs to their bedroom. Her purse was hanging from a chair in the corner. She opened it and removed the plastic evidence bag containing the letter that she'd written him in that house. Clutching it to her chest for several minutes, she left the bedroom and went back downstairs.

Castle looked up from his laptop when Kate walked into his office. "Hey," he sat back in his chair, watching her carefully.

"Hey," she approached him, smiling that shy smile that he loved. "Can we go outside and talk for a few minutes?"

He quickly saved the document on his laptop before standing up. "Let's go out back."

They walked to the wraparound porch and sat down in the swing. "I want you to know that I am going to watch the press conference. Just not yet."

"That's okay. Oh, before I forget, Gates called and she wants you to call her when you get a chance. Something about some more questions. So, what's on your mind?"

"When I was in that house, they had me locked in a room. This was after I'd asked to meet Lazarus. I didn't know what was going to happen, so I wrote a letter," she held out the evidence bag. "Castle . . . Rick, you're the one who's so wonderful with words. I could never even begin to do what you do. When I went to see Dr. Burke after Javi killed Lee Travis, I remember talking to him about how my mom's murder had defined me, driven me for so long. I told him that I wanted to be more. Sometimes I'm so tired of being the daughter of a murder victim, always seeking justice that is just out of reach. I'm glad that Capt. Gates is searching for new evidence, but at the same time, I ask myself it it's ever going to end. I want to be your wife; I want to be the mother of your children. I just want all of this to go away."

"I know," he reached out and stroked her cheek as she pressed herself into the warmth of his palm.

"This is your letter, Rick. I wrote it . . . well, you know why I wrote it," she looked at him, seeing the tears sparkling in his bright blue eyes. "It says everything that I've ever felt. Everything that I've always wanted to say, but haven't had the courage. You can read it if you want to. Or I can just tell you what I wrote."

"Tell me," his voice was a low, almost seductive whisper as her eyes continued to burn into his.

"I thought that I was going to die in that house," she swallowed thickly, feeling her voice choke up. "And then, after I heard Simmons' voice, I _knew _I was going to die. You've saved me, Rick. You've made me want to be more. You are the best, most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. When I was at my lowest point in that house, and there were a lot of them, I just focused on you. On what you would tell me. And you kept telling me the same thing over and over. You kept telling me that I had this. That I could do this. I know that it's eating you alive that you weren't there with me. But you were. In my heart," she took his hand and placed it over her heart. "I'm sorry that I ran when we got home."

"Kate, you didn't run. You were overwhelmed and you needed space. If you had run, you would've hotwired my Mercedes and driven back into town," he teased as she couldn't help but smile back. "Are you ready to call Gates back?"

"I wonder how it went with Bracken."

"Only one way to find out," he stood up and held a hand out to her.

Kate walked into the house and retrieved her cell phone before hitting Gates' name in her contacts. "Sir, its Beckett," she said when her superior answered the phone.

"Det. Beckett, why didn't you tell me that you had a run-in with Sen. Bracken? I can't believe that you actually assaulted the man."

"Yeah, well, he's kind of lucky that I didn't kill him, since that was my original intention," Kate answered drily.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that, Detective. I wanted to fill you in on a couple of things that we've found. But I want to make sure that you're all right."

Kate couldn't help but smile. She'd never known that her tough as nails captain had such a maternal side. "You did promise to keep me apprised," she reminded her.

"Two things. First, we found several photographs of the senator with both Capt. Fowler and Vulcan Simmons. And Scott Murray's wife said that after her husband's death, she found some photographs of an alley. She's going to bring them in later this morning."

"Pictures of an alley?" Kate looked at Castle. "Sir, a couple of years ago, Castle and I found some negatives among my mom's things. They were pictures of an alley. If these are the same pictures, they're going to be pictures of the alley where my mother was murdered. Before she was murdered, my mom had requested a file. This file was never found. It's possible that she gave the file to one of her murdered colleagues for safekeeping."

"You have no idea of what was in that file?"

"No, sir. I was in school at the time and to be honest, I didn't pay much attention to my mother's cases."

"Okay, we'll be on the lookout for that file."

"Did Capt. Fowler explain the pictures of himself with Bracken?"

"I haven't talked to him. I've called and left several messages, but he's yet to return my calls. Frankly, it's starting to piss me off."

Kate began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Has anybody done a welfare check on him?"

"You're thinking . . . of course, it would make sense. Bracken's trying to tie up loose ends. I'll do the welfare check and get back to you. I feel incredibly stupid for not thinking of it myself."

Kate hung up and looked at Castle. "I think I'm ready to watch that press conference now."

Castle found the link and brought up the press conference. Kate sat in front of his laptop, listening to Capt. Gates and then the Q&A with the PIO. She recognized the family members of her mother's colleagues, even though she hadn't seen any of them in years. Their images were forever burned into her memory. Hearing the captain speak of the terrible injustices that had been done to all of them just made her feel sad. Why didn't anybody take this seriously in 1999? Oh, that's right. They were blown off as random gang violence. Only her mother still had all of her jewelry on her, along with a wallet containing cash and credit cards. Gangs didn't kill for the hell of it.

Castle could see her hands trembling as she reached up to wipe at her eyes. He knelt down beside his chair and rubbed her arm. "Kate?" She turned the chair and simply wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his neck. "They're going to get him, Kate."

"I need to call my dad," she pulled away after a few minutes and wiped at her face once again. "I have to make sure that he's okay."

***CCC***

Ryan and Esposito pulled up in front of the small frame house owned by Capt. John Fowler. After she'd gotten off of the phone from talking to Beckett, Gates had ordered the two of them to go check on Capt. Fowler's wellbeing. The two detectives walked up the small porch and Ryan rapped on the door. "Capt. Fowler! It's Detectives Ryan and Esposito!"

When he didn't answer on the second knock, the two detectives made their way to the back of the house. The moment that they looked through the small kitchen window, Esposito got on his radio. "Dispatch, this is Det. Javier Esposito. I need CSU and the medical examiner at 527 Oak Street."

"Roger."

After he got off of the radio, Espo and Ryan entered the house through the back door. Ryan knelt beside the body of Fowler, checking for a pulse, but it was clearly unnecessary. "He's cold. Judging by the amount of congealed blood, he's been dead for a while."

"His throat's been slashed. My guess is our favorite neighborhood contract killer's handiwork."

"If she's working for Bracken and he's tying up loose ends that means Simmons is probably going to be next."

"I wouldn't exactly lose any sleep over that," Espo said.

***CCC***

"I'm fine, dad," Kate was sitting in a lawn chair in the middle of the back yard, with the sound of the ocean in the background. "I was just checking on you."

"I'm okay, Katie. I've talked to my sponsor. Katie, does your captain really think that she can take down a United States Senator?"

"I don't know, dad. But, at least she's willing to get to the truth. That's more than anybody else has been willing to do."

"Tell her to watch her back, Katie. This guy has a nasty habit of killing people who get in his way. You and Rick please be careful."

"You, too," she smiled. "Dad, we picked out our wedding cake."

"Did you?" He chuckled. "So, tell me about this wedding cake? Is it eight tiers, chocolate with white icing or that awful fondant stuff that I hate?"

"It's three tiers, its honey with vanilla butter cream. You're going to love it. We've also been talking about getting married here at the Hamptons house."

"I'm happy to see that my future son-in-law has been keeping your mind occupied on other things besides what's going on in the city."

"He's been great," she glanced toward the house.

Inside of the house, Castle watched Kate from the French doors before looking at the plastic evidence bag he still clutched in his hand. He sat down in an armchair and opened the bag, taking out the folded sheet of paper. Unfolding it, he smiled at Kate's familiar handwriting. He could almost sense how scared she must've been to write this letter. He took a deep breath before he started reading:

_Dear Rick,_

_I don't know how much time I have, even to write this letter. What I do know now is, that I'm in this. And the only way I'm gonna make it out alive is to see this through. I'm sure everyone is looking for me, and if they figure out I was here, CSU is gonna search this house. They're gonna look for blood and they will find it which will lead them to this letter. _

_Babe, it's your letter. And I hope you never have to read this, that I can tell you all of these things in person. But, if something happens, and I don't make it, I need you to know that our partnership, our relationship is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You're an amazing man and I love you with all of my heart._

_Always_

Tears were freely falling down his face as he read the letter a second time. He took another deep breath and refolded the letter before placing it in a drawer of his desk. He then wiped at his wet face before going to look for Kate, who was just coming in the house.

Taking one look at his red-rimmed eyes, she reached her hand up to touch his face. She then leaned in and gave him a soft, reassuring kiss. "Is your dad okay?"

"Yeah, he's talked to his sponsor. He thanks you for keeping my mind occupied. I told him about the cake and our plans to have the wedding here."

"I can't wait to see you on his arm on our wedding day. You've made me so happy," he grinned brightly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"You've made me so happy too, Castle. I used to feel like I was drowning. I can't remember the last time that I had that awful feeling."

"I have a surprise for later," he whispered against her lips.

"Can you help me try to take a bath? I know it might be a little soon, so if I freak, we still have the shower."

"After my surprise," he nipped at her bottom lip.

"Are you telling me that I might need it after?"

"Maybe," he soothed the nips with a gentle swipe of his tongue. "You might want to use it to warm up or we can always use the hot tub."

***CCC***

"Well, cause of death is obvious," Lanie said, kneeling over Fowler's body. "He's passed out of rigor, so I'm guessing his time of death was 12 to 18 hours ago." 

"His neighbor said that he saw him out in his yard to get the evening paper at six o'clock last night. As far as we know, that's the last time that he was seen alive," Espo checked his notes.

"He received a call on his cell at 10:43 last night. We'll run down the number," Ryan looked at Fowler's phone, which had been lying by his body on the floor.

"Well, that narrows ToD," Lanie made a note before standing up as Fowler's body was zipped into a black body bag and loaded onto a gurney. "Did he have any family?"

"Neighbor said that he was married, but that his wife moved out two or three years ago," Espo said. "I don't know if he had any kids. I'd never really met him until this thing with Beckett went down."

"How is she? I texted her today after you told me about the press conference. She just said that she was okay."

"Castle took her out to the Hamptons to get her away from all of this," Ryan told her.

"We all know that she's not going to stay away from this, guys. I mean, it's her mother."

"We know that, Lanie. But, Castle's always been able to rein her in. It'll be okay," Espo tried to calm the M.E. down.

***CCC***

After dinner, Castle grabbed some blankets as well as a double sleeping bag, before taking Kate by the hand and leading her out to the middle of the backyard. "You said last night how much you enjoyed the stars out here, so I thought that we could lay out here and look at them together," he unzipped the sleeping bag before lying down and pulling Kate down with him. He then pulled the bag over the two of them.

The two of them lay on their backs, gazing up at the millions of stars in the sky. "Did you bring me out here to take my mind off of the increasing body count?"

Gates had called them earlier to report the death of Capt. Fowler. "I'm just wondering if I should hire bodyguards."

"She told me that he wanted me to live," she reminded Castle of Elena's words after she'd slit Harden's throat in the woods.

"But, something tells me that was _before_ he knew that he was going to be investigated as a suspect in multiple homicides."

"Castle, I don't want to talk about it right now," she propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. "I want to lay out here and look at the stars with you. I don't want to talk about Bracken, my mother, or anything related to what's going on in the city. Is that clear?"

Her eyes were telling him that she'd had enough. That she was just inches away from that rabbit hole, holding on with all of her might to the edge. "I'm sorry," he reached up and softly stroked her cheek. "We'll talk about anything that you want to."

"I don't want to talk, at all," she moved closer to him. "Love me, Castle."

"Here?"

"Right here, under the stars. I want you, Castle."

He pulled her tighter against him, his lips closing over hers, drinking her in. He slipped his hands under her shirt, feeling the warmth of her bare back. She moaned as his hands roamed higher. She hooked her leg over his, moving closer in his embrace. She tugged on his shirt, pulling it free from the waistband of his jeans, letting her hands do some roaming of their own. She loved the warmth of him, the solidity. She loved the way that he could wrap around her when they made love, how safe he made her feel. How loved.

Castle rolled them so that Kate was lying under him. Their kisses remained soft, warm, as he unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her naked torso to the cool March night. His hand closed over her breast, soothing the Goosebumps that dotted her flesh. Her hand rested lightly on his jaw as they continued kissing.

Kate absolutely loved kissing Castle. But if she had to pick her favorite kind of Castle kiss, it was the kind that they were sharing now. The slow, soft kisses that would build her up so slowly and exquisitely, before sending her on a freefall of sensation. She moaned into his mouth at the feeling of his hand stroking her breast, her nipple hardening under his palm.

His lips left her mouth, finding the sweet spot under her ear. She shivered against him, but at the same time, she felt warmth spreading through her body. Castle's lips were creating the most wonderful feelings in her whole body. But as much as she was enjoying the feeling of his lips, she wished that he'd touch her. She slid her hand down to the front of his jeans, feeling the hardness of him straining against the zipper. "Kate," she loved the way that her name came out of his throat as a strangled growl. She rubbed her knuckles against him once again just to hear him repeat her name in that same way.

Deciding that two could play that game, Castle reached down and popped the button on Kate's jeans. He then lowered the zipper and reached his hand into her panties, feeling the warm wetness of her on his fingers, feeling her buck up against him. His fingers dipped and swirled, as she could hear herself groaning and whimpering as she sought more and more contact.

The closeness of the sleeping bag was keeping them from moving as much as they normally would if they were in bed together, which was making this whole experience extremely erotic. "Castle, please," she pleaded. "I want you."

Instead of listening to her request, he moved back up to her mouth, his kisses hot, soft, and very sweet, the whole time his fingers kept stroking through her tingling folds, eliciting some incredibly sexy moans from her. She slipped her fingers into the button of his jeans and opened it. After lowering the zipper, she reached into his boxers as his erection pressed into her hand. He was so hard and hot in her hands, yet velvety smooth at the same time. He reached down to stop her stroking of him, but she slapped at his hand.

Castle pulled back from her, removing her hand as he struggled to sit up in the confined space of the sleeping bag. "So, I might not have thought this out as much as I thought."

Kate stood up in the middle of the sleeping bag and blanket, giving him a Mona Lisa smile as she stripped out of her clothes before dropping down back beside her slack-jawed fiancé. "I'm naked. What're you waiting for, Castle?"

He broke out of his trance, and stood up to strip out of his clothes before lying back down and pulling the sleeping bag back over the two of them. Kate hooked her foot over his calf and reached down to guide him into her entrance. They both groaned out their desire at the feel of him slowly sinking into her, stretching and filling her.

Kate wrapped her arms around Castle's neck, bringing him down to share more kisses as he slowly moved inside of her, brushing up against her clit with his pelvis on every stroke. She moved her hands from his neck down his back to his ass, pulling him closer into her as she raised up to meet his thrusts. He pulled up so that he could stare into her eyes as they continued moving together. She gasped loudly when he hit that special spot inside of her that only he'd ever been able to reach. "Oh, Castle," she gasped. "Right there. Please do that again."

He pulled almost all of the way up before sliding in again, feeling Kate tighten her muscles around him. "Fuck, I love it when you do that."

"I know," she gave him a mischievous smile. "You told me the . . . first time that we . . . were together. Oh fuck, Castle!"

He placed his hands on her butt and raised her up, changing the angle of his thrusts along with the depth of penetration. The results were nothing short of explosive. She gave a loud keening cry as she came hard around him.

Feeling her clamp down around him and hearing her cries of release was all the incentive that Castle needed. After four more thrusts he came with a loud cry of his own, collapsing onto her shoulder as he felt her fingernails lightly scratching his back. "I'm sorry," he finally propped himself up so that he could smile down at her. "I must weigh a ton."

"That's okay. I like this part," she brought him back down for another long kiss.

"Cold?" He asked as he rolled over, tugging her into his shoulder.

"I'm okay," she stared up at the sky. "I want to get married at sundown. We can set some tables out here for the reception after. That way everyone can look up at the stars."

"And get eaten by mosquitoes," he kissed her temple.

"We'll set up some citronella torches. It'll be perfect."

"Or," he kissed her temple once again, "we can come out here after all of our guests leave and consummate our marriage out here under the stars."

"And what's to stop us from getting eaten by mosquitoes?"

"We'll be so caught up in the moment that we won't care."

Kate rolled so that she could rest her head on his chest, feeling his arm come around her. This moment right now was so perfect, but she knew that in the city right now, her arch enemy was circling the wagons and taking out potential witnesses. When was it ever going to end?

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	8. Chapter 8--Ghosts From the Past

**DISCLAIMERS: No, because Marlowe is doing such a bang-up job, he hasn't turned the reins over to me. **

**SUMMARY: The investigation continues as do the wedding plans as Martha gets in on the act.**

**A/N #1: I got part of the idea for this chapter after reading the spoiler for episode 6x20 'That 70's Show.' From what I read, I think Martha is going to enjoy herself immensely.**

Chapter 8: Ghosts from the Past

Candles were flickering in the ensuite bathroom as Castle and Beckett relaxed in the huge bathtub. It had taken him more than an hour of gentle coaxing to get her into the tub, but now that they were actually _in _the tub, she seemed to be relaxing in his arms. The warm water and bubbles lapped around them as she lay back against his chest, his hands splayed on her stomach, his lips nuzzling occasionally at the long column of her neck.

Kate closed her eyes, concentrating on being safe in Castle's arms instead of on the water that surrounded her. He'd set everything up so perfectly, from the rose-scented candles scattered all around the bathroom to the sounds of John Coltrane coming from the iPod dock on the vanity. The whole evening had been wonderful and she didn't want it to end, but she was so sleepy, so _relaxed_, that it was taking every bit of willpower not to fall asleep in Castle's arms right now.

"Mother texted me earlier," Castle's voice in her ear jolted her awake, causing her to tense up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Were you asleep?"

"I'm not sure. I think I was just so relaxed. What were you saying about Martha?"

"In a second. Relax," he stroked her arms and stomach as the tension gradually left her body. "Are you better?" She nodded. "Anyway, mother texted me earlier. I told her that we picked out a wedding cake. She wants to drive up to help you with flowers for the wedding."

"Don't you think that we should have a date first?"

"Yeah, but I think that mother really wants to get involved and décor is one area where she does excel."

"Castle, I do not want animal prints at our wedding."

"No animal prints, I promise," he chuckled against her neck.

Although Kate missed her mother so desperately right now, she was glad that she had Martha to help her with those details that her mother would've been helping her with. Sometimes when she thought about everything that went into planning their wedding, she felt overwhelmed. Those were the days when she just wanted to drag Castle down to the Justice of the Peace. Those were the days when she didn't want to think about bridesmaids' dresses, flowers, caterers, music, or her vows.

"That's really sweet of her," she yawned, pressing her face into his chest.

"You're tired. Come on, let's get out of here and go to bed."

***CCC***

When Castle awoke later that morning, he smiled at the sight of his fiancée soundly sleeping beside him. She was lying on her stomach, her long hair fanned all around her, her left hand resting on his stomach. He was relieved that she'd finally gotten several hours of solid sleep.

Not wanting to awaken her, he slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, pulled on his robe and padded out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He put on a pot of coffee, and walked over to the refrigerator, taking things out for breakfast. He was whisking eggs in a bowl when the phone rang. He reached across the counter and grabbed it before it woke Kate up. "Hello?"

"Good morning, darling," Martha's voice came over the phone. "I was getting ready to leave for the house and was wondering if you or Katherine needed anything on the way."

Castle looked toward the stairs and smiled when he saw Kate walking down, looking rumpled and still half-asleep. "I don't need anything. Let me ask Kate if she needs anything," he put his hand over the receiver. "Mother wants to know if you need anything from the city before she comes out here."

"I can't think of anything," she muttered, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"We're good, mother."

"Then I'll see the two of you in a couple of hours."

"Okay," he hung up the phone as Kate walked over to him. "Good morning," he gave her a kiss before handing her a cup of coffee. "I was going to make omelets a la Castle and some bacon."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. I slept really good when we went to bed. I mean, for the first time in days, I actually didn't dream about anything."

"That's good."

"Uh, while you're cooking breakfast, I'm going to check in with the boys to see how the investigation is going."

"Kate—"

"Castle, I have to know. This is my mother's case that we're talking about."

He didn't say anything as she took her cup of coffee and walked out to the back porch, closing the door behind her.

***CCC***

"Ryan! Esposito! What do we have on Fowler's phone?" Gates called out.

"The last call that he made was to a burner phone. So, basically we've got nothing," Ryan said in disgust, throwing his notebook down on his desk.

"Have we received any tips on Elena Markov?"

"She's a ghost," Espo said.

"Well, she might be a ghost, but she's a ghost wielding one hell of a knife," Gates pointed out. "Contact Sgt. Reed and have him get the word out to the news outlets. We need to find her before anybody else ends up dead."

"Yes, sir," Espo said as his cell phone rang. He noticed Beckett's name on the caller id. "Hey, Beckett? What's up?"

"I was just wondering how things were going with the investigation."

"Well, we ran Fowler's phone to see who he spoke to last, but the number was to a burner phone. Scott Murray's wife is supposed to be coming in this morning with the contents of a box that he'd stashed."

"Esposito, are you talking to Det. Beckett?" Gates called from her office doorway.

"Yes, sir."

"Give me your phone," Gates stomped across the bullpen and took his phone. "Det. Beckett, what do you think you're doing?"

"Checking on the investigation."

"No, you're not. I gave you _specific _instructions that you are to stay away from this! That means that you are not to call asking questions of your team. Right now they're not your team. I will call or I will have one of the boys call if we have any information. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well."

Kate hung up the phone in frustration. She hadn't felt this frustrated since she was 19 and was constantly calling Det. Raglan to check on the progress of the original investigation. She couldn't count on her father to do it. Within just a few months of her mother's death, her father was already drowning at the bottom of a bottle of booze. It had been up to Kate to make weekly calls to the detective. She knew that the detective hated hearing from her for two reasons; one, she was a woman, and two; she started seriously questioning what he was doing. He said the murder was due to random gang violence, yet he seemed to be doing nothing to find these so-called gang members who'd committed the murder.

"Kate?" She looked to find Castle sticking his head out of the back door. "Breakfast is ready."

She walked into the house and sat at the counter as Castle put her plate in front of her. He'd garnished her plate with strawberries and raspberries. "I feel like my hands are tied, Castle," she said as she began to eat. "Gates just chewed my ass out for checking in on the investigation. Why doesn't anybody understand that this is about my mother?"

"Hey, we do understand," he walked around the counter. "I know that you're used to being the one in control. But you have to trust that Gates and the boys know what they're doing. If they find anything, you're going to be the first person that they call."

"How do you do what you do?" She wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him into her body. "Every time I feel myself spinning out of control, you're able to rein me back in. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Now eat your breakfast. My mother will be here soon."

"So, are you going to be joining Martha and me for the flower discussion?"

"Oh, no," he quickly shook his head as he slid his own omelet onto a plate. "I will taste wedding cakes with you; I will even go ring shopping with you. However, I have to draw the line at how things are going to be decorated. I have a chapter due, so I will be writing."

"Coward," she teased as the front door opened and Martha came breezing in. "Good morning, Martha."

"Good morning, Katherine," Martha hugged and kissed her future daughter-in-law. "I see that Richard is keeping you well fed."

"Good morning, mother," Castle smiled as Martha came into the kitchen to greet him. "Can I interest you in an omelet?"

"No, thank you."

"I'm going to go upstairs and get dressed," Kate brought her plate into the kitchen, rinsed it off and put it in the dishwasher. "Breakfast was great, Castle."

"So, how is she holding up, kiddo?" Martha asked after Kate had gone upstairs.

"She has her ups and downs. It's rough for her not to be hands on with the investigation. Thank you for coming out to talk wedding plans with her."

"My pleasure."

"Well, I've got writing to do, so I'm going to leave you ladies to it," he kissed his mother on the cheek.

Kate came down moments later, wearing a bright red sundress, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, sandals adorning her feet. "I brought some magazines with some ideas, but I guess we should get started with what kind of flowers you like," Martha took the armload of bridal magazines that she'd brought to the dining table as Kate took a seat next to her. "So, Richard was telling me that you plan to have the wedding here. I think that's such a brilliant idea. We can have the grounds decorated so beautifully."

"We were talking last night about getting married at around sundown. I want the altar to be down where the edge of the backyard looks out toward the sea."

"Oh Katherine, that sounds lovely," Martha smiled. "So, what kind of flowers do you like?"

"Roses, pink and yellow roses. They're my favorites," Kate smiled. "I also love lilies and irises."

***CCC***

"Det. Ryan?" Ryan looked up and waved Michelle Murray over to his desk. "Here's the box of stuff that I was telling you about. I didn't touch anything. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you really expect to find anything new? I mean, it's been 15 years. I just worry about being disappointed all over again."

"Mrs. Murray, I can't promise that we're going to solve your husband's murder, but I can promise you that we're going to do everything that we can. The one thing that we won't do is blow you off. If we can't solve it, we'll be honest with you about it."

"Thank you."

"Bro, why do you have to be such a Debbie Downer?" Espo rolled his chair over after Michelle Murray had gotten on the elevator to leave. "'I can't promise that we're going to solve your husband's murder.' Seriously?"

"Dude, do you really think for one second that we're going to be able to bring down a United States Senator? Even if we're able to prove that he's behind all of this, he's going to get away with it."

"My old man told me this story when I was a kid," Espo sat back in his chair. "During Vietnam, there was this lieutenant, William Calley. He ordered his men to massacre a bunch of villagers; most of them were women, children, and old people. It was covered up for a long time until this reporter busted the whole thing wide opened. Men in his command were scared to testify, but eventually some of them did and he went to prison. Or he did until Nixon released him from prison after three lousy years. My point is this: nobody is above the law, bro. Maybe Beckett and the other families should take their story to **The New York Times**. My old man said that was how Calley finally got nailed."

"I've never known a time when Beckett wasn't hovering over that rabbit hole. I mean, the last couple of years with Castle are the happiest I've ever seen her. I just keep asking myself if we can really do this."

"We can do this because we have to do this," Espo stated with quiet determination. "So, what's in the box?"

"Let's find out," Ryan lifted the lid off of the medium sized box and put it to one side on his desk. He pulled out a white envelope and opened it, removing a dozen or so photos from it. "This must be the pictures Mrs. Murray was talking about. They're just pictures of a trash can in an alley. Why would he keep these?"

"They must mean something, bro. What else is in there?"

Ryan pulled out a manila folder and opened it, immediately seeing a post-it note written by Johanna Beckett. "Holy shit! This was given to Murray by Beckett's mother."

"What is it?"

"It's a file. Espo, this is the file on Bob Armen."

***CCC***

Writing in his office, Castle could faintly hear Kate and his mother in the other room. He smiled as he occasionally heard the sound of the two of them laughing. He loved the sound of Kate's laughter. It made him happy that she could find something to laugh about even now. He opened his desk drawer and took out the letter that she'd written him. He'd read it so many times that he had it memorized.

The night that he'd brought her home from the precinct after her ordeal and had beckoned her to join him in bed, she hadn't slept. Every time she closed her eyes and tried, she'd jolt awake in a panic, searching for him. He'd felt helpless not knowing how to comfort her. All he could do was hold her and try to calm her until she finally fell into a restless sleep shortly before dawn.

The nights since that had followed the same pattern. Kate would sleep little, if at all. They hadn't gone to bed the night before until almost three. But she had actually slept for about six hours. His cell phone rang. "Castle," he answered.

"Hey, it's me," Espo's voice came over the line. "Is Beckett around?"

"She's in the other room with my mother, making wedding plans. Hold on and I'll go get her."

"No, bro. One of Johanna Beckett's colleagues, a documents clerk—" 

"Scott Murray," Castle interrupted him. "I know all of the players, Espo. I know this case almost as well as Kate does."

"Anyway, his wife brought a box of stuff in this morning. One of the things in the box was a file that Johanna Beckett had given Murray. It's the file about Bob Armen's murder."

"Beckett had a murder board in her old apartment," Castle lowered his voice. "One of the things that she'd earmarked was the fact that Johanna Beckett had requested a file and that file was later discovered to be missing."

"This has to be the missing file. We also found some strange pictures. They were just of a trash can in an alley."

"Kate has negatives of those pictures. The alley is the alley where her mother was murdered. It's also the alley where Armen was killed. When Raglan was murdered in that coffee shop that morning, that was what he was about to tell me and Beckett. He was about to tell us all about Armen and the fact that he, McCallister, and Montgomery were all involved. Have you filled Gates in?"

"No, not yet, but we were about to. We can't leave her out of the loop anymore, bro."

"I agree. I'll tell Kate about the stuff that you guys found."

"How is she? She sounded a little frazzled when I talked to her earlier."

"Like I told my mother earlier, she has her ups and downs. I think it's just bringing out a lot of memories that she'd rather forget."

"I think it's beginning to affect all of us, bro. Ryan has doubts that we'll be able to bring down Bracken. What do you think?"

"I think it's going to be hard, but I don't think it's going to be impossible. We're just going to have to play it carefully."

"Well, tell Beckett that we're thinking about her. It's strange not having her around here. We'll talk later."

"Okay, bro," Castle ended the call and put his phone down on the desk.

Kate and Martha were walking together in the backyard, discussing plans on where to put the chairs and runners for the ceremony. "Have you decided when you're going to get married? After all, you've picked out a cake. It would be nice if the bakery knew what day to deliver this cake," Martha smiled.

"All we have is the month. But, if it were up to me, I'd marry him tomorrow," Kate smiled, biting on her lower lip as Martha slipped her arm around Kate's waist, embracing her. "Did you feel like this the first time you got married?"

"Kiddo, I felt like that _every time_ I got married. That giddiness, that feeling that you're always walking on air," Martha looked at Kate, who nodded. "Let me just say that you make sure that you have a good videographer, because you're not going to remember one second of your wedding day. You're going to be too excited to even think."

"What are you ladies discussing?" Castle walked over and wrapped his arms around Kate's waist as she smiled and leaned back into him.

"Castle, we need to set a date in May for the wedding," she looked over her shoulder at him. "We have to get the invitations printed and mailed out. Pick a date. I don't even care if it's during the week. We're getting married in the late afternoon, so everybody from the precinct can be here."

"May 12th," he said. "It's the day after Mother's Day."

"A Monday?"

"Monday's seem to be special for us. The very first time I ever made love—"

"All right, you two," Martha interrupted. "I'm having an Alexis moment and really don't want to hear the details of your first dalliance."

"May 12th sounds good to me. What time?"

"Six o'clock?"

"Perfect," she turned into his arms, looping her arms around his neck. "May 12th, 2014 at six o'clock. I'll be there."

"So will I," he smiled, letting his lips brush over hers.

"Katherine, I will take care of the flowers. But for now, I'm going to head back to the city and leave you two love birds to your own devices."

"Thank you so much, Martha," Kate turned and hugged the redhead fervently. "Everything is going to be beautiful."

"Yes it will, not that you're going to remember any of it," Martha hugged Kate back before releasing her and hugging Rick.

"We'll be home in a few days," Castle told her.

"I'll let myself out," Martha turned and began walking toward the house.

"We're going to go back to the city?" Kate turned toward Castle after his mother left.

"Well, not right away, but in a week or so."

"Do you know something that I don't know? Because Gates was clear that I needed to stay away from the investigation. You know and I know that's not going to happen if I'm in the city."

"Esposito called me a little while ago. Do you remember your mother's missing file?"

"Yes," Kate's heart began to pound.

"Kate, she gave it to Scott Murray for safekeeping. It's about Bob Armen's homicide."

"Is Montgomery's name mentioned?"

"I don't know. Espo just said that it was Bob Armen's homicide file. She must have asked for it so that she could start Pulgatti's appeal."

"Was there anything else?"

"Yeah. He had the pictures of the alley where Armen was murdered. But his wife told Ryan that she thought that Scott had taken the pictures. She thought that he was testing a new camera."

"My mother must've given him the pictures after she had them developed. She was afraid that someone would find them. God, why in the hell didn't she say something to my dad? He could've at least tried to protect her!"

"Are you upset with her because you think that she knew that she was in danger?"

"She had to have known, Castle," Kate looked at him. "Otherwise, why would she go to all of the trouble to hide the file and the pictures?"

"Did she seem scared or worried while you were home for your winter break?"

"Castle, I was 19 years old. I was self-centered and worried about myself. She didn't seem any different, but like I said, I probably wouldn't have noticed if she were. We went Christmas shopping and skating at Rockefeller Center. We clowned around while decorating the tree. You saw the pictures. Everything was normal. Or at least it seemed normal."

"But something else is upsetting you," he could see the agitation coming off of her in waves.

"I'm so angry at her, Castle! All she had to do is say something to my dad or let the police know. She had a lot of friends on the job. If she'd said something, she might be alive today! She'd be here to help me with all of this wedding stuff. I love your mother, Castle. I love her more than anything in this world, but—"

"I know," he walked up and pulled her into his arms. "It's not the same as having your own mom around."

***CCC***

Gates, Esposito, and Ryan were standing in front of the murder board. "So, let me get this straight," Gates turned toward the two detectives. "Bob Armen was an undercover FBI agent who was working as part of a ghost crew of cops that were kidnapping mobsters for ransom."

"Well, he wasn't working with the ghost crew. He was undercover as a mobster," Ryan corrected the captain, who glared at him.

"Explain to me how your former captain got involved in this," Gates said in a tight voice.

"Montgomery was a rookie cop and our guess is that he was being mentored, if you will, by McCallister and Raglan. Montgomery told Beckett that night in the hangar that Armen wasn't supposed to be in that alley the night that they tried to grab Joe Pulgatti. Armen was trying to keep Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery from taking Pulgatti. They fought over Montgomery's gun and it went off."

"And Bracken? When did he come into the picture?"

"He was the assistant district attorney at the time. He heard about the 'ransom' money and blackmailed them to buy his silence. It's how he financed his first congressional campaign."

"Do we have proof of this besides the money order that Beckett gave me?"

"No, sir."

"There's another thing, sir," Ryan added. "There are probably a lot of other players in this. Low level players, but players, just the same. Also, Michael Smith told Beckett that Bracken was protected. So I don't think he's the last link in the chain."

"If we don't get more evidence, that slick, slimy son of a bitch and his little Russian mail-order bride of a cohort are going to keep killing people."

"Maybe we could bring Simmons in and offer him some kind of a deal in exchange for information on Bracken and Markov," Espo suggested.

"I'll talk to the D.A.," Gates nodded in agreement. "I'd like to say something. I told Beckett once that I admired your loyalty to Roy Montgomery. I hoped that someday you'd feel that loyalty toward me."

"Sir—" Ryan began to say.

"Please let me finish," she glared at him as he quieted down. "You have shown me by sharing this information with me that you are showing me that loyalty and I feel honored to have finally earned it. Let's put this to bed for Det. Beckett, shall we?"

"Yes, sir," both detectives said in unison.

***CCC***

"I'm just calling to check on you," Kate was sitting on the back porch swing chatting with her dad. "Are you keeping busy?"

"Well, I'm a lawyer, Katie, so yeah, I'm keeping busy. I'm flying to DC at the end of next week to meet with some attorneys up there regarding a class action lawsuit I'm working on. How are you? You sound tired."

"It's been hard to sleep. But I think it's getting better. I got about six hours of sleep last night."

"That's good. Is something else bothering you, Katie? Is there news on the case?"

"Dad, did mom ever say anything about being worried about the case that she was working on when she was killed?"

"No, but she never would admit being afraid. You're very much like her in that respect. Neither of you would ever flinch."

"Yeah, well I wish she had 'flinched' just this one time, dad. I don't think she had any idea what she was getting herself into."

"Your mom and I had a long standing rule. We never discussed our work at home. Home was for you and each other. We'd both seen too many colleagues' marriages disintegrate because they brought the work home with them. We didn't want that."

"She should be here, dad," Kate sniffled as tears slowly ran down her face. "I know that you wish that she was here instead of—"

"Katie, I apologized for that. I was drunk and I was angry. Why don't you go take a long bubble bath and let Rick take care of you? Everything will look brighter tomorrow."

Kate wiped at her wet face after getting off of the phone. Why didn't anybody understand that just the thought of getting into a bathtub alone was terrifying? It had taken Castle more than an hour earlier that morning, with gentle touches and soft words to finally convince her that the tub was nothing to fear. Why did she feel like she was spinning out of control?

Castle was in the house reading when his cell phone rang. He frowned when he saw the name on the caller id. He'd thought that Kate was outside talking to her father. "Hello?"

"Rick, its Jim. I'm concerned about Katie. I think that this re-investigation is starting to overwhelm her."

"Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Sometimes she seems okay, and then—"

"After her mom died, she became very angry. Not just at me, but she was angry at her mom, too. I'd get drunk and we'd have some awful arguments. One night, I said some things in the heat of anger . . . things that I wished back the moment that the words left my mouth."

"What did you say?"

"I told Katie . . . I told her that I wished it had been her that night."

"Oh my god," Castle sighed.

"I apologized a million times over for saying it. It's just . . . I missed Jo so much, Rick. We weren't getting any answers from the police. Katie kept insisting that they were missing something and I just wanted her to let it go. Let it go so that we could both move on. But . . . well, you know how she can get when she sets her mind to something."

"I know, but Jim, I know that you didn't mean what you said. But that's still a bell that you can't un-ring. Did you have words on the phone tonight?"

"No, nothing like that. She just doesn't understand why her mother didn't say anything about the case that she was working on. She feels that if she had, she might be alive today. But we're never going to know."

"I'm going to go and check on Kate. She hasn't come back into the house and it's chilly out there. I'll have her call you back."

When Castle didn't find her in the yard, he knew exactly where he'd find her. He walked down the path to the beach and down about 300 yards. Sure enough, she was sitting on the sand, her sundress pulled down over her knees, which were pulled up to her chest. She looked up and gave him a watery smile when he dropped down onto the sand next to her. "How did you know I was down here?"

"Well, you weren't out back. Your dad called. He thought that you might be upset. Kate, he told me what he'd said to you—"

"He was so drunk that night. I know that he didn't mean any of it, but it was so hateful and so vile. I almost wished that he had beaten me instead. It would've hurt less."

"I think that you were both using different methods to cope and neither was working."

"He told me a while ago to go take a hot bubble bath and let you take care of me. If he only had any idea how long it took you to get me into that tub this morning," she chuckled sadly.

"You don't have to do this alone anymore," he wrapped his arm around her. "I'm here. I'm not going to run screaming into the night."

"I'm glad," she cuddled into him as he held her tighter, both of them sitting on the sand watching the sun sink into the Atlantic.

Kate knew that the only thing that she could do was what she had been doing every day for the last 15 years. Get up, and just put one foot in front of the other.

**A/N #2: This wasn't the fastest I've ever written a chapter, but this was the first time in a long time that I sat for eight solid hours and did nothing but write. I turned on my DVR and watched the following episodes: 'Cops and Robbers,' 'Cuffed,' 'Till Death Do Us Part,' 'Once Upon a Crime,' 'Headhunters,' 'Undead Again,' 'Always,' and 'After the Storm.' I was truly inspired. Thank you, Andrew Marlowe!**

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	9. Chapter 9--Who Was the Mysterious JKL?

**DISCLAIMERS: No.**

**SUMMARY: Kate and Castle enjoy a day in town for the South Hampton Regatta while Gates and the boys start to look into one of the so-called 'lesser' players, the original medical examiner.**

**A/N #1: I want to thank reviewer Jmbatt for pointing out to me a glaring error in Chapter 8. Actually, the Unmuse dropped the ball. As a native New Yorker, he's the one who tries to help me with distances between destinations. He missed how quickly Martha arrived at the house from the city. He told me from now on to think of it as driving from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, something that I can relate to. **

**A/N #2: I don't have Internet access at home, so I have to look up stuff on my phone. Last night, I Googled 'Beckett's Murder Board' and came up with a wonderful Wiki site that has a lot of great information, plus some burning questions. I'll be utilizing this site to help me with some of the upcoming chapters.**

**A/N #3: I don't know if South Hampton has an annual Regatta, but it sounded good for the sake of my story. I'm from San Antonio, and right now we have Fiesta. **

Chapter 9: Who was the Mysterious JKL?

Kate's eyes fluttered opened in the darkness of the bedroom. She didn't know what time it was, but the sun hadn't even begun to come up. If she had to guess, she'd guess that she'd only been asleep for a few hours. She thought about calling her doctor later in the morning to get a prescription for sleeping pills. She couldn't keep doing this.

Castle's arm was warmly draped over her stomach, the weight comforting on her skin. Her ruggedly handsome fiancé was so cute when he was asleep. His hair stuck up in all directions, giving him a sweet, rumpled look. She didn't want to wake him up, but she loved touching him. She let her fingers trail softly over his face, smiling when he huffed in his sleep and snuggled deeper into her shoulder, tightening his fingers into the fabric of her t-shirt.

He slowly opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy smile. "Stop thinking so much," his voice was rough as he reached out to cup her cheek. "Come here," he reached his arm around her back and tucked her into his warmth, his breath gently blowing through her hair. "I'm really sucking at this."

"At what?"

"I thought bringing you out here would help you to relax."

"I can't let it go, Castle," she cuddled into his chest, feeling his hands running soft circles on her back. "I love being out here and I love making plans for our wedding, but my mind is always in the city, wondering if Gates and the boys are doing their jobs. I'm wondering what I could do; what _we _could do, if we were there."

"Kate, we're _not _going back to the city. I'm not a huge fan of having my ass handed to me by Iron Gates. We could leave here and drive down the coast _or _we could go up to your dad's cabin. There's no rule that says we have to stay here."

"Castle, you don't have to bend over backwards to make me happy. Being here with you makes me happy. Tell me a bedtime story," she rested her head on his chest. "Tell me about the first time that we made love."

"You showed up on my doorstep, soaking wet, cold and scared—"

"I wasn't scared," she argued sleepily.

"Who's telling this story?" She didn't answer, just snuggled deeper into his chest. "You smelled like cherries and rain, which are now two of my favorite scents in the entire world. We had kissed before, but that had been as a ruse. That kiss had been . . . wow, but our first real kiss . . . the one that I knew was going to be the start of something very special was . . . words failed me. You tasted so sweet and the little moans that came out of your mouth—" He glanced down and saw that she was smiling as she listened to him.

"Keep going."

"Your skin felt like velvet under my fingers. And the second that you touched me, I thought that I was going to come completely undone. You touching me was the greatest thing ever. And then, when we finally came together that first time, I didn't want it to end."

"Me, either," she lifted her head to kiss him. "I kept trying not to come because I didn't want it to end. But at the same time, I just wanted to keep coming because it was so mind-blowing. Sometimes I ask myself why I waited so long to let you in. I wasted so much time fighting what I was feeling toward you."

"You weren't ready. Neither of us was. No regrets, Kate."

"No, no regrets," she kissed him once again before nestling against his chest and closing her eyes.

***CCC***

"Do you remember the first time you heard about Beckett's mom?" Javier was lying naked in Lanie's bed, with her head resting on his shoulder. Unable to sleep the night before, he'd called Lanie and asked to come over, which was what had led them to where they were right now.

"It was right after we'd become friends. We got together one night and she got drunk. She told me the whole story. What about you?"

"I always knew that there was something there, something that was driving her besides the job. So, one night I asked her and she told me. She told me that she always felt like the detective was dicking her around. Those were her exact words," he said as Lanie smiled. "She told me that she was going to solve it herself or die trying."

"I thought for a long time that it was going to destroy her. I was almost relieved when she let it go. Then along came Castle," Lanie sighed, remembering when the writer had first started coming around.

"Sometimes I regret handing him that file, but if I hadn't, we'd have nothing now. Can I ask you something? Did you know the original M.E.?"

"No, he retired before I started working for the M.E.'s office and then he died of a heart attack in 2005. Why?"

"Lanie; Ryan, Gates, and I have looked at the autopsy photos and we've read his reports on the murders of Johanna Beckett and the others. The murders were all committed in the same manner."

"I know. I'm the one who called Dr. Murray after the Jack Coonan homicide, remember?"

"So, did he really miss the obvious or was he being paid to discount four murders as random events?"

"Maybe you should be talking to his family. See how well they're living," she arched her eyebrows.

"You should be a detective," he grinned, grabbing her and rolling them as his lips descended on hers.

***CCC***

Kate groaned loudly. She was having the most amazingly erotic dream. She could actually _feel _Castle's lips on the insides of her thighs. This was definitely the best dream ever. That man could do the most amazing things with his lips and tongue, even adding his teeth to the mix sometimes just to mix things up. Sometimes, just thinking about what he would do to her would make her soaking wet in no time.

She opened her legs wider when she felt his tongue brush over her still clothed clit. This definitely _wasn't _a dream. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked down and saw a mound of covers, which had to be hiding her fiancé. "Castle? What're you doing under there?"

Suddenly the lump under the covers began to move as she felt Castle moving up her body, finally popping his head out from under the disheveled blankets. She smiled at how adorably rumpled he looked. "If you have to ask what I'm doing under there, then I'm not doing it right."

"Not that I didn't enjoy what you were doing, _very much_, but I like it better when I can be an awake and willing participant in the act. Give me a kiss and I'll let you go back to what you were doing," she gave him a bright smile as he moved up and gently covered her lips with his own.

"Good morning," he kissed her one more time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have you screaming my name in a matter of minutes."

"I'm looking forward to that," she teased as he once again disappeared under the blankets.

Later, she couldn't wipe the huge grin off of her face while sitting on the back porch with Castle as they enjoyed their coffee in the coolness of the March morning. After he'd made her scream his name repeatedly as promised, they had shared a shower, where they had engaged in a rather loud and boisterous round two. "Did you want me to call around and see if we can get on one of the sailboats today?"

"Castle, I was thinking, with my . . . problems with water, going out into the middle of the Atlantic might not be a good idea. I don't want to go out there and freak out."

"Someday, I'm going to take you sailing," he took her hand and squeezed it. "But, there's still plenty of other stuff to do. They have some carnival rides and every kind of carnival food that you can imagine."

"Funnel cake and caramel apples?" Her eyes lit up like a little girl's as he laughed.

"Kettle corn, funnel cake, corn dogs. Would you like to go?"

"I'd love to!"

Castle grinned, happy that Kate seemed willing to go out and have a good time. Hopefully they'd have a good day without the lingering thoughts of the investigation intruding. His plan was to give her one of the best days ever.

***CCC***

"So, tell me again why we're investigating the original M.E.?" Capt. Gates asked as she sat at a conference table with Ryan and Esposito. "The man has been dead for nine years. It's not like we can dig him up and have him convicted of falsifying his report."

"Sir, everything starts with the autopsy reports," Espo scattered the autopsy reports of the five known victims of killer Dick Coonan: Johanna Beckett, Jennifer Stewart, Diane Cavanaugh, Scott Murray, and lastly, Coonan's own brother, Jack, the death which had been the catalyst to where they were now. "With the exception of Jack Coonan, Dr. Jerry Lyle or someone from his office performed the other autopsies. But, Dr. Lyle himself was the one who wrote the reports. When Castle showed Johanna Beckett's file to Dr. Clark Murray, Dr. Murray noticed right away that Mrs. Beckett's killing was an execution. When Jack Coonan was murdered, Dr. Parish noticed the same wound pattern that had been on the other victims. Dr. Lyle's widow is living in a two million dollar home in Westchester County."

"She could've purchased that with her late husband's life insurance," Gates pointed out.

"That's what I thought, until I did some checking. The house was purchased, _with cash_, in October of 1999, five months after Jennifer Stewart's murder. Tori did some checking and found out that a deposit of five million dollars was deposited in Dr. Lyle's account in June of 1999, a month after Ms. Stewart's death. Sir, I don't think this is a coincidence."

"Do we know where the money came from?"

"So far, it's been untraceable. Tori's still checking into it."

"Dr. Lyle would've had a relationship with Bracken," Ryan said. "As the chief medical examiner, he probably testified at hundreds of trials. Bracken was the assistant district attorney in the early 90's."

"We still need solid proof. Where are you on Vulcan Simmons?"

"I've got a call in to his attorney. All he said was that he'd tell his client that we want to talk to him. I'm not going to hold my breath," Ryan said.

"Okay. In the meantime, contact Dr. Lyle's next of kin and tell them that we have some questions. If they become uncooperative, get a subpoena. I've got some phone calls to make."

"Bro, I don't know how Bracken sleeps at night. It's scary to think that this guy wants to make a run at the presidency," Ryan sighed, rubbing his face.

"It'll be scarier if we don't stop him. Come on; let's go talk to Lyle's widow."

***CCC***

It didn't take a rocket scientist to quickly figure out that spending the day in South Hampton for the Regatta might not have been a great idea. As he parked the car in a public beach lot, Castle could see that there was already quite a crowd, even though it was barely 10 in the morning. He knew that the crowds would only increase as the day went on. With the crowds, would come the noise. Kate was used to the hustle and bustle of the city, but due to her PTSD, she had an incredibly sensitive startle reflex. "Are we ready to do this?" He smiled over at her.

"Yeah," she gave him a bright smile back.

Castle got out of the car and walked over to open Kate's door for her. She got out and tucked her hand into his arm as he closed her door and hit the lock on his key fob. Walking toward the booths and the crowds, wonderful scents assailed Kate's nose. It was like Coney Island, but on a smaller scale. "I used to bring Alexis out here every year. We'd stuff ourselves silly and ride the carnival rides."

"I never even knew about this. Do you get mobbed by fans?" She asked, feeling slightly queasy at the prospect of her famous writer fiancé being noticed by his fans.

"No, the Hamptons are full of celebrities. I might get stopped and asked for a few autographs, but no mobs. I promise," he squeezed her hand affectionately.

They were snacking on funnel cake a couple of hours later when Castle heard someone calling his name. "Ricky?"

Castle and Kate turned to see New York Mayor Bob Wheldon approaching them with his wife and children at his side. "Big Cheese!" Castle greeted his long-time friend. "I didn't expect to see you out here today."

"I could say the same. Det. Beckett," Wheldon turned toward Kate. "Congratulations on your engagement. I hope you can keep this guy in line."

"Watch it, Bob," Castle growled as Kate grinned. "Well, I'm showing Kate around. She's never been to the Regatta before."

"Then, we'll let you two enjoy yourselves. Have a good time."

Kate could sense that Castle was trying to distance himself from his friend, but she didn't know why. "What's going on with you and the mayor?" She asked as they began walking among the rows of booths, carefully navigating their way around the crowds.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"It just looked like you were trying to get away from him in a hurry."

"That's because I want to spend the day with you."

"That's sweet," she leaned her head into his shoulder.

Walking with his fiancée close by his side, Castle thought about running into the mayor. Things had been somewhat strained between the two men since the Laura Cambridge murder case, when Bob had been a suspect in the murder. The real killer had never been caught and there were times when Castle suspected that his friend knew more than he had originally let on. But, today wasn't about worrying about murder cases. Today was all about the gorgeous woman at his side.

They had barely started walking when they were stopped once again by someone calling Castle's name. This time, the culprit was a man wearing the collar of the clergy. "Mr. Castle! I was hoping that I'd see you and your fiancée here in town today. I'm Father Flynn. I understand that you and Ms. Beckett are going to be married out here in the Hamptons."

"How did you-?" Castle looked at Kate, who shrugged.

"I ran into Henri from South Hampton Bakery. He told me that you had commissioned a wedding cake from him. So, when is the big day?"

"Uh, May 12, but Father, Kate and I weren't planning on a religious ceremony. Although we appreciate the offer."

"Of course. Well, let me know if you change your mind. Have a nice day and enjoy the Regatta."

"Henri actually told other people that we were getting married out here? Castle, I don't want everybody and their brother knowing that we're going to be married here. With things the way that they are—"

"Hey, it's okay."

She took a deep breath, not understanding why she was feeling panic-stricken all of a sudden. "Sometimes I have nightmares where what happened at Roy's funeral happens again, although this time it's at our wedding."

"I know. I have those same nightmares. I'm sorry sometimes that my private life is non-existent. I know that you value your privacy."

"I knew what I was signing up for when I accepted your proposal," she reached for his hands. "We'll talk more later. But right now, show me around the Regatta."

The weather was perfect, in the mid 60's with a light breeze. Castle bought a bag of kettle corn which they shared while they continued walking, looking at the different booths. There were crafts booths, game booths, and booths featuring local artists. "Some of these pieces are really good," he looked at some of the art work. "Is there anything that you like?"

"I like this one," she pointed toward a piece which showed what looked like an angry sea during a storm, complete with rolling waves and bolts of lightning.

"What is it with your attraction to dark, angry art work?"

"I like this one," she smiled at him. "I like the way that the ocean looks before a storm."

"If I was the artist, I'd call this one 'The Wrath of God,'" he folded his arms, contemplating the piece.

"Come on, Castle, I like it. I think it would look cool in your office in the loft, right next to Linus," she kissed his neck as the artist smiled at the two of them.

"I think you have a point. It reminds me of you, sexy and tempestuous," he grinned at her.

Castle purchased the painting, giving the artist the information on where to have the painting delivered. They left the booth, Kate's arms wound tightly around Castle's waist as they continued strolling through the crowds. It was a nice day just being with him with nothing on her mind except having a good time.

***CCC***

Esposito raised the knocker on the home of former Medical Examiner Jerry Lyle and let it drop on the striker plate three times. The door was answered by a lady in her late 70's, white haired, elegantly dressed, leaning on a cane. "May I help you?" 

"Mrs. Lyle?" Esposito inquired as the lady nodded. "I'm Det. Esposito and this is Det. Ryan. We're from the NYPD. We have a few questions about your late husband."

"Please come in," she stepped away from the door to allow them into her home. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, ma'am," Ryan said.

"You said that you're from the police?" She asked as the two detectives nodded. "Jerry has been dead for nine years. What could you possibly need to know about him after so many years?"

Esposito sometimes hated this part of the job. Here they were, having to talk to a lady who seemed very nice about her husband, who had quite possibly covered up autopsy reports for money. It wasn't her fault that her husband was a snake. "Did your husband ever say how he was able to afford a home here in Westchester after years of living in Queens?" He finally opened up his line of questioning.

"Young man, my husband invested and he did quite well. It was never my place to question how my husband dealt with our finances. That wasn't my place. My place was to take care of his home and his children. When we married, he always told me that one day he wanted me to have a home where we could entertain in style."

"Did you or your husband know a man named William Bracken?"

"Bill and his wife Eileen have been friends for many years. Why do you ask?"

"You say that you've been friends for many years. How long exactly?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, since Bill was in private practice, long before he even worked in the D.A.'s office. We were godparents to his and Eileen's oldest son. May I ask again why you're asking questions about our friendship with the Bracken's?"

"What about a man named Vulcan Simmons? Are you or your late husband acquainted with him?"

"No, I don't know anybody by that name. And, I'm sure that if Jerry had known someone with a name like 'Vulcan,' I would've known about it. That's not exactly a forgettable name."

"No, ma'am. I have one more question and then we'll be on our way. In 1999, there were four murders that took place in a five-month span. Your husband signed off on them as being unrelated gang killings. Did he ever mention those murders to you?"

"Without names, I wouldn't know," she answered gently.

"The victims were Johanna Beckett, Diane Cavanaugh, Jennifer Stewart, and Scott Murray."

"I'm sorry, Jerry was the M.E. He wrote a lot of autopsy reports and performed a lot of post-mortems. The names all ran together after a while. Plus, my memory isn't what it once was," she said apologetically.

"Well, thank you for your time," Esposito said as the two detectives stood and Mrs. Lyle walked them to the door. He didn't say anything more until they were in the car. "Well, that was interesting."

"It's still circumstantial. Being friends with Bracken doesn't mean anything."

"Bro, stop being such a killjoy," Espo started the car.

"_Bro_, we can't even go to the D.A. until we have an ironclad case. If we go with what we have now, we're going to get laughed out of his office."

"Nobody said anything about going to the D.A.," Espo told him as he pulled into traffic. "We're not even close to that point, yet."

"All I'm saying is we had better be 100 percent positive that we've got Bracken dead to rights before we even _think_ about it."

"And we will. Relax."

***CCC***

Kate and Castle were laughing when they walked into the house. "I had such a good time today," she turned in the doorway and threw her arms around his neck. "I don't think I've eaten so much junk food since I was a kid."

"How about a glass of wine?" He asked her.

"Later," she dropped her arms and took one of his hands, tugging him toward the stairs. "Come upstairs with me."

He began to follow her, but the house phone started ringing. "Let me grab this. It's probably mother or Alexis." He grabbed the phone from the base. "Hello?"

"May I speak to Det. Beckett, please?" An unfamiliar male voice asked.

"May I ask whose calling?"

"Just let me talk to her."

"It's for you," Castle held the receiver out toward her.

Kate frowned. Nobody knew she was here except for her team, her dad, and Castle's family. She knew that they'd call her on her cell phone. For some reason, her heart began to pound in her chest as she took the phone. "Hello?"

"You need to stop investigating your mother's murder."

"Who is this?" Kate asked as she signaled to Castle to call the precinct and have them attempt to start a trace.

"Tell your people in New York to stop. If you don't stop, the deal that you have with Senator Bracken is going to fall apart."

The line went dead. Kate looked at Castle, who was on his cell, but he shook his head. "Gates is on the line. You'd better talk to her," Castle gave Kate his cell phone.

"Sir?"

"Beckett, did you recognize the voice?"

"It sounded vaguely familiar, but I can't think of where I know it from. It was definitely male. He told me that if you don't stop the investigation, the deal that I have with Bracken is going to fall apart."

"What deal are you talking about?"

"It's a long story."

"Let me talk to Mr. Castle," Gates' voice was firm.

"She wants to talk to you," Kate gave Castle his phone.

"Sir?"

"Mr. Castle, give me directions to that house of yours in the Hamptons. I'm driving out there and you, I, and Det. Beckett are going to have a talk. I don't know what kind of games you two are playing, but they're about to come to an end."

**A/N #3: The surprises are going to keep on coming. You might need a scorecard to keep track before it's all said and done. **

**A/N #4: The JKL in the title of this chapter refers to Johanna Beckett's autopsy report.**

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	10. Chapter 10--Who Are the Usual Suspects?

**DISCLAIMERS: I wish.**

**SUMMARY: The conspiracy appears to run deeper than anyone realizes. Lanie, Alexis, Jenny, and Martha begin helping Kate with wedding plans.**

**A/N #1: To lighten things up in this chapter, the girls are going to be discussing bridesmaids' dresses, and bachelorette parties.**

**A/N #2: I'm going to be throwing out a lot of suspects in upcoming chapters of this story. I can assure you right now that the ONLY person who's not a suspect is Jerry Tyson.**

**A/N #3: There are going to be references to two of my favorite movies featuring weddings: 'Steel Magnolias,' and 'Blind Date.'**

Chapter 10: Who Are the Usual Suspects?

Kate had recognized the voice on the phone, but from where? She could hear Castle talking on the phone to Capt. Gates, obviously giving her driving directions to the house. He finally ended the call and gave her a small smile as he stashed his phone in his back pocket. "I'm thinking that you probably wish you hadn't walked into so much drama," she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Well, you're never dull, that's for damn sure," he took her hand and placed it on his thigh. "I take it that Gates wasn't happy."

"She thinks I'm hiding things from her."

"Her words were she thinks we're playing games. She'll be here in a couple of hours. So much for taking me upstairs," he teased.

"Maybe I should leave," she got up and walked to the French doors looking out on the back lawn. She loved the backyard. It was so green and so beautiful. When Castle had brought her to the house the first time, he'd told her that the backyard was his favorite place. It soon became Kate's favorite, too. "I'm not safe here. This is supposed to be our safe place, Castle."

"Kate, did you recognize who was on the phone?"

"I know the voice, but I can't remember from where."

For some reason, Castle thought back to earlier that afternoon when they had run into Mayor Bob Wheldon. He and Kate had solved more than 100 murders over the course of their time together. Over 100 solved murders and one unsolved one. He remembered talking to Mr. Smith in a darkened garage. '_There are times when a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king.'_

"I think Wheldon was in Southampton for a reason. He wasn't here to check up on us, he was here to potentially warn us."

"You think he knew more about his embezzlement scandal than he let on?" Kate turned from the window. "Castle, I know who it was on the phone! That lawyer! The one who stopped Jordan Norris from telling us who killed Laura Cambridge. What was his name?"

"Moss . . . Bob Moss! Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. When Gates gets here, we'll give all of the information to her. She's the lead on this and she won't appreciate me calling the boys."

"Kate, I have a feeling that Bracken is behind Laura Cambridge's murder, too. This guy is just leaving a trail of bodies everywhere he goes."

"Why do you suspect Bracken?" 

"I met with Mr. Smith one night. He told me that there was a conspiracy that tied in to your mother's murder. I'm sorry, but he didn't elaborate more than that."

"We've known for a long time that Bracken is the dragon. I had no idea that he had such a huge cast of supporting players. This is beginning to look like one of your mother's stage productions."

"Yeah, Bracken definitely has more arms than an octopus. I don't think that I could write anything this complex."

"At least if you were writing this, Bracken would already be dead," she sighed as he walked over and pulled her against his chest, rubbing her back gently.

"I think I'll go make some coffee for the captain. Should I put out some cookies or something, as well?" He asked as she pulled back slightly.

"Castle, it's not a social visit. Coffee is fine."

"Gotcha," he kissed her forehead before going to the kitchen.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

After taking a shower, Kate changed into a pair of Capri's and a plaid shirt. She then brushed her hair and tied it back into a ponytail before going back downstairs. She picked up her phone and saw that she had a text message from Alexis. She went out onto the back porch and called Castle's daughter. "Alexis, are you okay? I'm sorry that I missed your text, but I was in the shower."

"I just thought I'd check in to make sure that dad's taking care of you."

"He's been great," Kate smiled. "I can't talk long. Capt. Gates is going to be here soon."

"Is everything all right? Why is Capt. Gates coming out there?"

"It's a long story, Alexis, but everything's fine. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Kate, could you come back into the city for the day? Lanie and I want to do a girls' day. I know it's a long drive into the city and back again, but please say yes," Alexis begged.

"Alexis, a girls' day sounds perfect," Kate smiled, looking toward the door when she heard it open. "Hold on a second, Alexis." She put her hand over her phone. "Is Gates here?"

"No, but she should be here any second. Who's on the phone?"

"Alexis. I'll tell you all about it in a minute. Let me talk to her, please?"

"Okay," he made a face before going back inside and closing the door. He didn't know why his daughter was calling Kate and not him.

"When did you want to get together, Alexis?"

"Is Monday okay?"

"Monday is great. How about around 11?"

"Perfect. I'll let Lanie know. Thanks, Kate! Tell dad I'll call him later this evening!"

"Is Alexis all right?" Castle asked after Kate had come inside and closed the door behind her.

"She's fine. She said that she'll call you later. She and Lanie want me to come into the city Monday for a girls' day out."

"Alone?" Castle asked, his voice rising a notch.

"Yes, Castle. _Alone_. They said a girls' day out, not a girls' day out plus Castle. I'll be fine. I carry a gun, remember?"

***CCC***

An hour later, Capt. Gates pulled into the driveway of Castle's Hamptons home. Pulling in front of the house, she stopped the engine and looked around her. She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting Castle's other home to look like, but for some reason she was expecting something much more ostentatious. Instead she was looking at a house that was much more sedate and understated. From the outside, it looked like a home anybody would feel comfortable in. She got out of her car and walked up to the front door, ringing the doorbell.

Castle opened the door and tried not to look as nervous as he suddenly felt. "Capt. Gates, please come in," he stepped aside so that she could enter.

"Sir," Kate stood up when Castle walked into the living room and the captain behind him. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Detective, do I look like I'm here on a social visit? I want to know about this deal that you made with Bracken," she walked over and sat in an armchair, watching as Castle started to sit next to Kate on the sofa, before changing his mind and sitting in the other chair in the room. "You said that it's a long story, so the sooner that you tell it, the sooner I can get home to my granddaughter."

"Before Roy Montgomery was killed, he sent a package to Michael Smith. This package was supposed to have guaranteed my safety. But Smith didn't receive the package until after Roy was killed and I was shot. After I was shot, Smith brokered a deal with Bracken that nothing more would happen to me or anybody that I cared about so long as I stopped investigating my mother's murder. Smith then called Castle and told him of the deal."

"So, this is why you suddenly dropped any mention of investigating your shooting after you came back on duty?"

"Yes, sir. But I didn't learn that Castle had been meeting with Smith until the Orlando Costas case. We learned that Costas had been killed with the same gun that shot me. I knew that if we told you, you'd pull me off of the case and send me home."

"And I would've been within my rights. How did you come about making the deal with Bracken?"

"After I learned that he was the person behind my mother's murder, I found him at a fundraiser. I told him that I had the files that he thought had been destroyed when Maddox was killed. He didn't believe me, so I gave him the number of the bank account where the money had been deposited. I told him that if anything happened to me or anyone that I cared about, I'd release the account number to the media."

"So, you blackmailed him and assaulted him," Gates rolled her eyes. "Was there anything else left from those files that blew up?"

"I still have a bag full of scrap paper that we didn't bother trying to rearrange after we pieced together enough of the money order."

"If you can get those 'scraps' to me, I'll give them to Tori and see if she can piece them back together. Ryan and Esposito spoke to Jerry Lyle's widow. The M.E. was a friend of Bracken's. As a matter of fact, he and his wife are godparents to one of Bracken's children. However, they didn't find any evidence to suggest that she was aware of any complicity."

"Sir, I believe that the person who called me earlier was Bill Moss. He was Jordan Norris' attorney."

"Norris? Our suspect in the murder of Laura Cambridge?"

"Yes, sir. Castle and I were in town earlier today and we ran into Mayor Wheldon. Castle thinks he was maybe there to warn us."

"Why is that?" Gates turned her attention to Castle.

"Because I believe that Mayor Wheldon knows more about Beckett's mothers' murder than we realize. When I first started following Beckett, it was more of a lark and to get insight into a new literary character. However, after I learned the things that I learned about the murders, he wanted me to stay at the 12th to try to reel Beckett in, much as Smith wanted me to do. If Wheldon had been booted out of office, you would've kicked me out of your precinct."

"Yes, I would have," she agreed.

"And if that had happened, Kate probably would've been killed because she would've kept digging into her mothers' murder."

"So, we have three new people to interview for this ever growing list of suspects," Gates sighed, digging a notepad from her purse. "Jordan Norris, Bill Moss, and Mayor Wheldon. Maybe I should bring in President Obama while I'm at it," she added sarcastically.

"Only if you think he can shed light on Bracken," Castle added, trying to lighten the mood. Dirty looks from both Gates and Kate told him that he'd failed miserably.

"Is there anything else that the two of you haven't told me? Because I'm really getting tired of these little surprises."

"No sir, that's everything."

"Well, I have a long drive ahead of me, so I'm going to leave. By the way, Mr. Castle, you have a lovely home. It wasn't what I was expecting, at all."

"Were you expecting something like the Kennedy compound? I'm rich, but I'm not _that _rich."

"Good night, Mr. Castle; Det. Beckett. I'll let myself out," she walked out of the living room.

Kate rolled her eyes and scrubbed a hand over her face when she heard the door close seconds later. "That was almost as scary as having your principal visit your parents."

"I think I'm ready for that glass of wine," Castle walked into the kitchen. "I was thinking."

"Castle, every time you say that, we end up in some kind of trouble."

"Well, it's just that Gates has forbidden you from setting foot in the precinct or even talking to the boys, but what's to stop us from creating our own murder board? Or at least make a list of the usual suspects so that we can mark them off as they're eliminated." 

"I hate calling them 'the usual suspects.' Every time someone says that, I expect Kaiser Sose to show up."

"I had a murder board set up on my computer," he walked back into the living room and handed her a glass of red wine. "I started it after your shooting."

"What happened to it?" She took a sip of wine.

"When we had that awful fight before you and Esposito went after Maddox, I . . . I deleted it. In fact, I deleted it just minutes before you showed up at my front door that night."

"Do you still have the program?"

"No, but I can recreate it."

"Let's do it starting tomorrow because tonight I really just want to be with you and not think about anything but you," she reached for his hand, tugging him toward the stairs.

An hour later, Kate and Castle lay sprawled on the California King bed, sharing soft kisses as sweat cooled on their skin. Kate loved that they shared such an incredible physical relationship. They were constantly kissing and touching each other. They made love on an almost nightly basis. "Are you sure that you don't want me to go with you Monday?" He groaned at the feel of Kate's lips on his neck.

"Girls' day out, Castle," she reminded him. "I'll try not to be too long."

"They're planning a girls' day out, Beckett. You don't need to rush back. I'm sure that I can find ways to amuse myself."

"Really?" She looked at him in amusement.

"Not that I won't miss you," he kissed her.

"I'll miss you, too," she snuggled into his shoulder, her hand resting on his bare chest.

***CCC***

Before arriving at Lanie's apartment on Monday morning, Kate stopped by the bank to access her safe deposit box. After retrieving the rest of the bag of scrap paper that had once been files, she drove to the 12th. The boys weren't at their desks when she stepped off of the elevator, so she walked directly to Gates' office and knocked on the door. "Sir?"

"Come in, detective," Gates waved her inside.

"Here's the rest of the files that were blown up in the explosion," Kate held out the bag of paper pieces.

"I'll get these to Tori. Thank you. What brings you into the city?"

"I'm meeting with Castle's daughter and Dr. Parish for a girls' day out."

"Sounds like fun. Just be careful."

"I will, sir," Kate smiled as she left the office and went back to the elevator.

Kate knocked on Lanie's door 20 minutes later. "Kate!" Lanie greeted her with a hug and a squeal of delight when she opened the door. "Girl, get your butt in here!"

Kate followed Lanie inside, surprised to find that Martha and Jenny were there along with Lanie and Alexis. "Alexis, you held out on me," Kate hugged her future stepdaughter.

"I wanted to surprise you," Alexis told her. "So, are you okay?"

"Uh-uh, I'm not here to talk about the investigation. All I'm going to say is I'm fine and so is your dad. So, what're we doing today?"

"May 12 is less than two months away," Jenny told her as they all went to sit around Lanie's small dining table. "Which means you have some serious work to do. You need to decide on your colors, your bridesmaids' dresses, what kind of music you want—"

Kate felt like her head was spinning. "I have to have colors? I'm wearing an off-white wedding dress, and I'm sure Castle will be wearing a dark suit."

"What color are your flowers?"

"I'm going to have yellow and pink roses, irises, and lilies."

"Okay, so yellow, pink, light purple, and white."

"Well, lilies come in different colors," Martha reminded Jenny.

"Colors?" Kate felt panic-stricken.

"It's all right, Kate. Just be glad that your colors aren't blush and bashful," Jenny grinned, making a reference to 'Steel Magnolias.'

"We can get pale pink runners and pink bunting for the aisles," Alexis made additional notes.

"Girl, don't even suggest that we're going to wear pink bridesmaids' dresses," Lanie warned her two friends.

"Seriously? Have you ever seen a redhead who looks good in the color pink?" Alexis made a face.

"So, step one, we need to go shopping for dresses," Jenny was almost giddy with excitement.

"Now?" Kate was stunned.

"Of course now! You're getting married in less than two months," Jenny reminded her.

They spent the next several hours going from bridal shop to bridal shop, looking for a matron of honor dress for Jenny, bridesmaids' dresses for Lanie and Alexis, as well as the perfect dress for Martha as mother of the groom. There were times during the day when Kate felt overwhelmed by the enormity of everything that was still left to be done. And the fact that she was on her own for most of it.

They were sitting in one of the shops sipping champagne while waiting for Lanie and Alexis. Jenny looked over at Kate, who was staring into space, but she could see the sadness lurking in her eyes. "Kate? Are you okay?"

"I just never thought about how much there was to do," she sighed. "When I thought of getting married, I never thought any further than standing at the altar and saying my vows."

"There were days when I'd burst into tears," Jenny remembered. "Most of it falls on the bride. I accused Kevin on more than one occasion of just having to show up. Martha told me that you're having the wedding out at the Hamptons house. That's going to be beautiful."

"Speaking of beautiful," Martha interrupted them when Lanie and Alexis stepped out from the back.

The dresses caused Kate to gasp. They were a deep forest green. The bodices were tight, but not so tight that they would be uncomfortable for a night of dancing. "Wow," Kate got up and walked over. "You two look . . . these are gorgeous."

"Do you like them?" Alexis turned in front of the mirror.

"Yes, I do."

They walked into Lanie's apartment two hours later loaded down with shopping bags. "Now, that we've taken care of the dresses, we have to talk about your bachelorette party," Lanie announced.

"Lanie, no!" Kate flopped down on the sofa and groaned. "Do you have any idea how many of those I've attended over the years? They're so embarrassing!"

"Come on, Beckett! It's to mark your last night as a single lady. It's your last chance to ogle some fine male booty besides Writer Boy's."

"Lanie, ew," Alexis made a face. "You're talking about my dad!"

"All I'm saying is what better way to ogle some fine male booty than with half-naked men dressed as firefighters or construction workers."

"Are you looking to hire The Village People?" Kate asked.

"Come on, it'll be fun. You need to have some fun. Cause I can tell you that I already know what Javi has planned for Writer Boy, and I know he isn't going to say no."

"Okay, I'll do this on one condition," Kate told her friend. "Don't plan it for the night before the wedding. I don't want to get married with a hangover."

"Well, since you're being untraditional and getting married on a Monday, how about the Friday night before?"

"Okay, that sounds good."

"Now, that we've gotten all of that settled, I brought movies!" Alexis pulled some DVD's from her handbag. "In light of the wedding theme of the day, I have 'Steel Magnolias' and 'Blind Date,' which Kate told me once is one of her favorite movies of all time."

They laughed and cried over 'Steel Magnolias,' but 'Blind Date,' had the ladies laughing so hard that they were almost falling off of the sofa. "My favorite part is coming up," Kate warned them. "Wait for it. You have to really listen."

When they heard what Kate had warned them about, the bride to be started laughing harder than ever, almost falling off of the couch as the other women stared at her, shaking their heads. But then her laughter soon turned to tears. "Kate? What's going on?" Alexis and Martha sat on either side of her. "I know that you told us that you didn't want to talk about it, but is it the investigation?"

"It's everything," Kate cried into her hands. "It's the investigation, and the wedding, and I'm not sleeping, and I'm scared to get into the bathtub still—"

"Oh, you poor thing," Martha embraced her. "Have you talked to Dr. Burke?"

"What? Are you saying that I'm losing it?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that you're feeling overwhelmed right now, and maybe it would help to talk to somebody. Maybe he can recommend someone in Southampton."

"I think that I just need to sleep for about 18 hours."

"Have you talked to Castle about your inability to sleep? Maybe he can help with that," Lanie looked at Kate with a slightly arched eyebrow.

"Are they making headway on the investigation?" Alexis asked.

"No, and the suspect pool just keeps getting bigger," Kate ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be such a downer."

"Every bride is entitled to her fair share of tears," Martha hugged her once again.

"Once this is all over, Kate, you won't even remember what you got so emotional about," Jenny told her.

It was after midnight before the party started breaking up. Jenny had left earlier in the evening after receiving a call from Kevin informing her that he'd just used the last bottle of expressed breast milk and their daughter would be waking up wanting dinner soon. Alexis and Martha walked with Kate to the Lanie's door. "You should stay here tonight," Martha suggested. "Or come back to the loft."

"Castle wants me to come home. I . . . don't sleep well unless I'm with him, anyway."

"Just please be careful driving home."

"Send me a text when you get to the house, Kate," Alexis told her. "I should still be up."

"I will," Kate hugged both women before turning to Lanie. "Lanie, thank you for such a wonderful day."

"Text me when you get home, too," Lanie hugged her friend. "Give Writer Boy a hug for me."

"I will."

Lanie closed the door and went to get her phone. She looked the number up on her contacts and hit 'call.' He answered on the first ring. "Castle."

"Castle, its Lanie. I'm worried about our girl."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"She's bouncing all over the place emotionally. She said that she isn't sleeping. Martha asked her about calling Burke, but she didn't take the advice very well. Just keep an eye on her."

"I will. Thanks for calling me, Lanie. Is she on her way home?"

"Yeah, she just left my apartment."

"Okay, I'll look for her in a few hours. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Castle."

***CCC***

Castle hung up from talking to Lanie, and thought about sending Kate a text, but he didn't want to send her anything while she was on the road. It was just after midnight. He knew that with traffic, she'd be home in two and a half hours or so. He knew that she wasn't sleeping. But she had yet to talk to him about everything that was on her mind. She'd talked about what had happened in that house, but he knew that there was a lot more on her mind than what she'd endured at the hands of Vulcan Simmons.

While she had been in the city, he'd spent time working on the new murder board. He had sorted out all of the players and had positioned them in a circle similar to his first murder board focusing on Kate's shooting. He knew that Kate was almost more focused when she had something to work on. She wasn't the type of person who could sit around and do nothing. Even when she was supposed to be relaxing at the house in the Hamptons, she couldn't sit still. She would take long walks on the beach, or go jogging; sometimes with him, but often alone.

He smiled when he got a text from Alexis. **'Hi, dad. Just checking in. I picked a beautiful dress for the wedding. I can't wait for you to see it. ILY. I'll call you tomorrow.'**

He smiled when he re-read the message. He was so happy that his mother and daughter loved Kate almost as much as he did. Kate also loved them, and loved being a part of his family. He'd learned a few months before that Kate wasn't a huge baby person, but she had also told him more than once that she couldn't wait to have babies with him. He also couldn't wait to have babies with her. She was going to look so adorable pregnant with his children.

***CCC***

Kate was driving with the windows opened to allow the cold March night to blow in on her face to help keep her awake. She'd stopped halfway between New York City and Southampton to buy some coffee. She couldn't wait to get home to Castle, to wrap herself around him. Maybe she could actually sleep tonight.

As she drove, she kept her eyes on her rearview mirror, watching cars behind her, trying not to let her exhausted, but overactive imagination play games with her. By the time she'd gone through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel toward Southampton, she was almost counting the minutes until she'd be in her fiancé's arms again. It had been a long day.

Castle was in the kitchen when he thought he heard tires on the driveway outside. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 2:45 in the morning. When Kate didn't come inside after a few minutes, he opened the front door. His Mercedes was parked in front of the house, but Kate hadn't come inside. Looking closer, he could see her leaning against the headrest. He bolted toward the car and quietly opened the car door.

Kate looked so tired, so wiped-out, that his heart went out to her. "Tired?" He asked as she slowly nodded. "Let's get you inside. Put your arms around my neck."

She was too tired to argue, so she did as he asked, smiling when she breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like safety and home. He scooped her into his arms and lifted her out of the car, kicking the door closed before carrying her into the house. She was almost asleep when he placed her on their bed and undressed her. She then heard dresser drawers being opened and closed, followed by Castle coming over and slipping her nightclothes on her body. He then rolled her enough to pull the covers back on the bed before placing her under the blankets. He then went into the bathroom and changed into his own nightclothes before joining her in bed.

"I'm 'sposed to text 'Lexis," she mumbled, half-asleep. "Let her know I'm home."

"I'll text her real quick. Go back to sleep."

"Not asleep. Gave up sleeping for Lent."

"Tomorrow we'll spend the whole day in bed," he said as he sent a quick text to Alexis letting her know that Kate was home.

"Ooh, we haven't spent the whole day having sex in a long time," she smiled.

"We're going to spend the whole day _sleeping_," he kissed her on the forehead before reaching over and turning off his lamp.

**A/N #4: The next chapter is going to be a filler before getting back into the case. **

**A/N #5: If you've never seen the movie 'Blind Date' with Bruce Willis, I highly recommend it. The scene I'm talking about is during the wedding after actor William Daniels says 'Shoot the dog.' I'm an animal lover, but the scene is hilarious. I had to watch the movie a couple of times before I noticed it. **

**Follow me:**

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	11. Chapter 11--A Lot Like Being in Love

**DISCLAIMERS: No, but I'm going to keep hoping.**

**SUMMARY: While spending a lazy day in bed, Kate and Castle discuss wedding plans. Yes, this is an M-rated chapter for lots of Caskett-y fluffiness.**

**A/N #1: This is a filler chapter before I get back into the case. I'm actually trying to kill time until I can re-watch 'Dial M for Mayor.'**

**A/N #2: I've never been married, but someone told me that Lanie would likely be Beckett's maid of honor and not a bridesmaid. So, I'll be tweaking a few details.**

Chapter 11: A Lot like Being in Love

Kate was shivering hard enough to shake the whole bed. Hard enough to wake Castle up from a sound sleep. "Kate?" He rolled toward her.

"Cold, Castle. So cold," she continued to shiver.

It did seem colder than usual in their bedroom. He sat up and threw his legs off of the side of the bed, biting back a yelp when the cold air hit his skin. He walked over to the French doors and looked out, groaning when he saw the flakes of snow drifting past the windows. "Snow? Really? It's almost April." He walked back over to the bed and got back under the covers, reaching over and tucking Kate into the warmth of his body. Eventually her shivering stopped as she went back to sleep.

It was just beginning to get light in the room when Kate opened her eyes. She smiled when she remembered Castle carrying her up the stairs the night before. By the time she had pulled up in front of the house, her energy was completely gone. She couldn't have taken another step if someone had paid her.

She could feel Castle's arm draped over her stomach, his breath warm on her shoulder. She vaguely remembered him saying something when he'd gotten into bed about spending the day in bed together, _sleeping_, as he'd stressed. Well, she'd have to see what she could do to change his mind about that. It was rare that they got to spend a whole day in bed without interruptions of some kind.

She turned into his body, snuggling deeper into his body warmth. He reactively tightened his arms around her, sighing into her hair. "Castle?" She whispered into his chest. "Castle? Wake up." Instead of answering her, he muttered something unintelligible. "Come on, Castle. I want to play."

Castle smiled when he felt Kate kissing him all over his chest before her lips moved up to his neck. He loved snuggly Kate, especially early in the morning. "Is it still snowing?" He mumbled.

"Snowing? It was snowing?" She removed herself from Castle's arms and walked over to the window, where there was a light dusting of snow on the ground. "No wonder it was so cold last night." She came back over to the bed and got back under the covers, throwing her leg over his, smothering his t-shirt clad chest with kisses. "I'm glad that you're awake. I want to play."

"Kate, slow down a second," he stopped her from lifting his shirt over his head. "Lanie called last night after you left her apartment. She's worried about you. So am I. You were so wiped out when you got home last night that you couldn't move. You need to sleep."

"I'll sleep, Castle. I promise. I want you. I want to play," she pressed herself even closer to him, moving up so that her lips could brush over his. "I want to feel you. I want to feel all of you on all of me."

"Feeling a little needy, are we?" He teased as she deepened the kiss in answer.

She took his hand and slid it under her sleep shirt, up to her breasts. She moaned softly when she felt his thumb slide over her nipple, feeling it stiffen at his touch. His hand covered her breast, caressing her warm skin. She put her hand over his, guiding him in how she wanted to be touched. His hands were huge and he could do such wonderful, magical things to her body with them.

"Shirt off, Castle," she hissed against his mouth, tugging on the hem of his t-shirt. He sat up long enough for her to pull it over his head and throw it toward the end of the bed. She then wrapped her arms back around him, kissing his neck and collarbone, breathing in the scent of him.

He let out a groan when she rolled onto her back, pulling him with her so that he was lying almost on top of her. He removed his hand from under her shirt and propped himself up on her hands so that he could look down into her eyes. Kate had truly gorgeous eyes and never were they more beautiful than when they were intimate. The green would darken to brown the more aroused she became.

She gave him a dazzling smile as he bent down and kissed her, his tongue delving into her mouth. Kate raked her fingernails down his back to his ass, which she squeezed affectionately as he groaned. He left her lips, blazing a trail over her cheek, to her pulse point. He gently bit it, marking his territory as she whimpered, feeling the heat race down to her core. He left her neck, moving down to her collarbone, nipping at her sensitive flesh as she writhed against him, seeking more contact than he was giving her at the moment.

Castle kissed his way further down until he reached her breasts. Lightly flicking her nipple with his tongue, he finally took the whole swollen nub into his mouth as Kate arched against him, and groaned, her breathing ragged with need.

She carded her fingers in his hair, holding him closer to her breasts. He switched breasts, showing equal attention to her other breast while his fingers caressed its mate, tugging on her turgid nipple. Still teasing and caressing her breasts, Castle moved back up and once again captured Kate's lips with his own, his tongue sliding against hers.

Kate arched against him, seeking friction to ease the growing ache between her legs. She moaned loudly at the feeling of his growing erection against her center. He gave her an answering groan at the feeling of her warm, damp heat pressing against him. His groan only got louder when she moved her hips up and down, causing him to grow even harder.

As much as he longed to be inside of her, he had other ideas first. He moved away from her and hooked his fingers into the top of her pajama bottoms, as she smiled up at him with her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. He smiled back, tugging her pants and panties down her long legs in one smooth motion, leaving her completely naked to his appreciative gaze. Tossing the discarded garments behind him, he gathered her into his arms once again as she wrapped all four long limbs around him, her obvious arousal rubbing against him.

They kissed hungrily for several more minutes before he slithered down her body, kissing and caressing every last inch of her bare flesh, as Kate quivered in delicious anticipation of where he was heading. He paused to press lingering kisses down the long scar under her ribs, feeling her heaving for breath under his hands. The low moans that she'd been emitting became louder, more strident the further down her body he moved. He could smell the warm, heady scent of her arousal as he opened her legs. He heard Kate suck in her breath as he kissed the insides of her thighs before finally moving between her legs.

"Castle," his name came out of her mouth as a breathy moan when she felt the first brush of his tongue against her. "More Castle, please? That feels so damn good."

Castle loved the way that she tasted; sweet, salty, and tangy. And she was so warm and wet. There were times when he thought he'd never get enough of her. He opened her legs wider, covering her entire mound with his mouth as she squirmed under him. He could feel her hands combing through his hair, holding him even tighter as he continued to pleasure her with his lips, tongue and teeth; nibbling, licking, and sucking. He longed to feel her climax under his probing mouth and fingers. He brushed over her clit lightly with his tongue before clamping down and sucking it into his mouth.

Kate could feel the tension coiling deep in her abdomen, building higher and higher with every swipe of Castle's expert tongue, every press of his fingers on her wet, swollen folds. She began to ride the wave of blissful release as it built, the tension building until it burst, leaving her screaming Castle's name with the intensity of her orgasm. She felt him continuing to gently lick and suck at her as she felt the wave beginning to build again. But this time, she wanted him inside of her.

"Castle, I need you . . . inside of me," she was breathless as she moved her hands down to his shoulders. "Please. I'm so ready to come again."

Castle moved his way back up her body, lining himself up in the 'v' between her legs. She reached down and stroked him before guiding him to her entrance. She let out a long, low moan at the feeling of him entering her still very sensitive core. She pulled him down, tasting herself on him as she kissed him hungrily, encouraging him to move by thrusting her hips up at him.

Gripping her by the hips, Castle began to thrust into her hard, hitting her clit and making her scream as she wound her legs high around his waist to change the angle and depth of his penetration. Sweat was pouring off of both of them when he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them so that she could be on top. "Fuck Kate," he growled, reaching up and covering her breasts with his hands. "You feel so hot right now."

"Tug on my nipples, Castle. Bite them, do something. Oh shit, I'm going to—" she threw her head back and screamed his name as she fluttered and pulsated around his length.

Castle rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefingers, feeling her continue to throb and clamp around him. He knew from experience that she wasn't done. He knew that she had at least one more orgasm in her before he came. Letting go of her breasts, he once again wrapped his arms around her as he moved to sit up. He wanted them to come together slowly, wrapped together as close as two people could possibly get. He sat up against the headboard and thrust up inside of her slowly, grinding against her clit when she moved against him.

She kissed him hungrily once again before moving to his neck. She sucked at his pulse point, gently biting and marking him as her property and hers alone. She loved getting possessive with him during sex. She loved knowing that he was completely hers. She couldn't wait to marry him. "Castle, are you close?"

"Uh-huh," he fondled her breasts, pulling on her nipples, listening to her whimper and whine as her movements against him became sloppy and frantic. He skimmed his hands down her back before moving down to where their bodies were joined. He swirled his finger against her wet, swollen clit, pressing and rubbing the way he knew that she liked.

"Shit, Castle! More! Harder!" She put her hands over his, frantically guiding him, their fingers moving together as both of them began moving faster.

He rolled them so that she was flat on her back once again as he thrust into her hard and fast, both of their fingers still working on her clit. She arched her back, her mouth opened in a silent scream of pure pleasure as she clamped down around him so hard that it was almost painful. Seconds later, she felt the warm gush of Castle's climax as he came deep inside of her.

For the next several minutes the only sound that could be heard in the bedroom was the harsh sound of their breathing and the soft sounds of lips meeting as they shared long, lingering kisses. The scent of their lovemaking was heavy in the air and they were both becoming chilled as the sweat cooled on their bodies.

Kate's body reacted in shivers when she felt Castle kissing her neck, his body heavy and warm on top of hers. She whimpered in a delicious orgasmic aftershock at the feel of him slipping from her depths. Her skin was still so sensitized that she was sure that she could go another few rounds. But she knew that her partner needed a little time. As he was so fond of reminding her at times, it wasn't like he was 20 anymore.

"Do you think that I can coax you into the bathtub?" He propped himself on his hands so that he could look into her eyes. "Then we'll come back in here and sleep for a little while."

She put her hands under his arms and pulled him back down to her, kissing his upper bicep as she clasped her hands behind him. "I want to stop being so scared of the tub, Castle."

"I know. I'll make it perfect like the last time. We'll get in the tub and you can tell me what you ladies talked about during your girls' day out," he grinned at her.

"Go start our bath," she kissed him once again before he rolled off of her and got out of bed, pulling the covers up over her so that she'd stay warm.

Kate curled into Castle's pillow, listening to the sound of the huge tub filling in the ensuite. The sound of the water went straight to her bladder. She threw back the blankets and scrambled to the bathroom, stopping short when she saw the candles scattered everywhere, the scent of vanilla heavy in the air. "Are you okay?" Castle turned to her after he finished lighting the last one.

"I have to pee," she squirmed as he began to laugh and discreetly left the room, allowing her some privacy.

While Kate was in the bathroom, Castle stripped the bed, replacing the soiled linens with fresh ones. He then walked over and tapped on the closed bathroom door. He was concerned when she didn't answer him. "Kate? Are you okay? I'm coming in," he opened the door and saw her staring, eyes wide in fear and terror, at the almost full bathtub. "Kate? It's okay. Focus on me. Come on, look at me. Remember what we talked about the last time? It's only water. It's not going to hurt you. Come on, Kate. Breathe and focus on my voice. Tell me that you hear me."

"Yeah, I hear you. It's just water. It doesn't have magical powers," she said, repeating Esposito's words from so long ago when he'd shown her the gun that had shot her. "You're going to get in first, right?"

"Yeah, I'll get in first."

He stepped into the tub and slowly sank into the hot water before reaching for her hand. Placing her hand in his, she followed him into the tub, sitting down and leaning back into him as he wrapped his arms and legs around, cocooning her securely against him, his lips brushing her temple.

"The water smells like lavender," she sighed happily, letting the heat relax her sore muscles, especially the delicious soreness between her legs. "You take such good care of me, Castle."

"That's because I love you," he whispered against her ear. "When we get out of here, I'm going to go make us a light breakfast and then you're going to sleep. I will stay right next to you the whole day. It's a perfect day for sleeping. It's too cold outside to do anything."

"I want to talk about our wedding," she yawned.

"We will, after you sleep for a few hours. Kate, you can't keep going like this. You're going to burn out if you do. I know that you want to be kept abreast of what's going on with the case, but you need to take care of yourself."

"Alexis and Lanie's dresses are so beautiful," she murmured sleepily. "Castle, I was thinking. If you'd rather have Alexis as part of your wedding party, that's okay."

"But, she was so thrilled when you asked her to be a bridesmaid."

"I know, but sometimes I think that she'd rather stand on your side. I'm not hurt, Castle," she insisted.

"I'll talk to her and see what she wants to do. We still have time."

"I'm so excited," she leaned against his shoulder, wrapping her hands around his arm. "I get so excited thinking about marrying you that I can't sleep."

He grinned, listening to her. He loved the changes in her since he'd asked her to marry him. She was so happy, so much more joyful. The darkness that had so long been a part of her since he'd first met her only made rare appearances now. He loved Happy Kate, the Kate that laughed, and was silly on occasion. The Kate that loved to make love with him just as they had just a short time before. The Kate that loved to cuddle close on the sofa as they ate popcorn and watched what they both referred to as mindless television. Those were sides of her he'd never seen before their engagement. Even after they'd started sleeping together, she'd kept herself walled off to an extent. Now she was freer with herself and with him.

"I can't wait to see this dress that you've been hiding from me."

"You can't wait to take that dress _off _of me," she kissed his bicep.

"I won't deny that."

"The girls want to throw me a bachelorette party. Castle, I have no desire to be entertained by a bunch of male strippers."

"Why? Javi and Ryan are throwing me a bachelor party and believe me; I have no problem being entertained by gorgeous strippers."

"Really?" She turned her head around to look at him.

"Jealous? I'll be thinking about you the whole time," he kissed her.

"I just think it's a stupid tradition. Go out, act stupid, get drunk, and have some strange guy's junk hanging in your face when he does a lap dance. I was a bridesmaid six different times and every single time, the bachelorette party was the most embarrassing thing ever."

"Kate, if you don't want a 'traditional' bachelorette party, just tell Lanie. Explain to her why you don't want to go that route. She's not going to throw you something that you'll hate. She's your best friend. Believe me, she will understand."

"I was thinking while I was driving home last night," she cuddled close to his chest again. "I think I'm going to ask Lanie to be my maid of honor. Like you said, she's my best friend. She deserves a higher status."

"I agree."

"Who's your best man going to be? Ryan or Espo?"

"I haven't decided, yet. Which one do you think I should choose?"

"Oh no. You're not going to make me decide. Apparently, I still have to decide who's going to sit next to whom at both the rehearsal dinner and the reception. We need to have invitations printed up and mailed. We have to hire a caterer. Oh my god, Castle. I still have so much to do!"

"Hey," he cuddled his arms around her chest. "Relax. We still have time. You need to rest. Besides, I've been through this before and so has mother. We'll help you with this. Let's wash up and go back to bed."

***CCC***

It was just after three in the afternoon. Castle had awakened a couple of hours earlier, but Kate had remained asleep. The light dusting of snow had begun to melt in the harsh March sunlight, but it was still cold, so Castle had started a fire in the fireplace. He'd then gone downstairs to retrieve his laptop from his office, bringing it up to the bedroom with him.

It was the clickety-clack of his fingers on his keyboard that finally began to bring Kate out of her slumber. She loved listening to him while he wrote. The sound of his creative genius at work comforted her. Whether he was writing a new scene for Nikki and Jameson or a something for Derek Storm, she loved listening to him at work.

"What time is it?" Her voice still had that sleepy quality that he loved.

"Almost three. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did," she smiled. "I feel almost human. What're you working on?" She sat up and moved closer to him as he turned the laptop so that she could see. She looked at the screen and then looked at him, a huge smile gracing her features. "Wow, Castle. This is nice."

"I can save it and email it to an engraver _or _we can buy the heavy stock to print them ourselves."

"Let's send it to an engraver. No offense, but they'll look more professional that way."

"No offense taken," he kissed her temple. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Then, let's go downstairs and make dinner."

They fell into an easy rhythm while standing side by side in the kitchen making dinner for the two of them. Castle had put some soft jazz on the iPod dock and had poured glasses of Cabernet for the two of them as they stirred and chopped, stealing kisses and touches as they moved around each other. "In the tub earlier, you talked about how excited you are to be marrying me," he looked at her as she smiled. "I lay awake at night after we've made love. I lay there and hold you in my arms, and I don't want to close my eyes for fear that I'll miss something. I can't wait to marry you, either."

She gave him her trademark huge grin before grabbing his face in her hands and giving him a hard kiss. "I love you."

"I know," he teased.

After dinner and cleaning up, they had a couple of glasses of wine before going back upstairs and making love again, this time more slowly, trying to draw out each touch, every sensation as long as they could before finally falling over the precipice. Castle tucked the comforter around them as he felt Kate wrap herself around him, one of her legs in between his, her favorite way to sleep. "Today was almost a perfect day," she murmured sleepily, her voice sounding slightly slurred.

"Almost?"

"It would've been perfect if this had been after our wedding."

"Soon, sweetie. Very soon," he kissed her forehead.

"Not soon enough, Castle."

He chuckled as she pressed herself closer to her. Once he knew that she was sleeping soundly once again, he closed his eyes and drifted off, his last thought being of the image of her walking down the aisle on her father's arm. She was right. That day wasn't coming soon enough.

**A/N #3: The next chapter we're going to be back in the case. I just thought you'd want a brief respite before things get hot and heavy. **

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	12. Chapter 12--Surprising Secrets

**DISCLAIMERS: If I owned 'Castle,' let's just say we would've seen a whole lot more at the end of 'Law and Boarder.'**

**SUMMARY: The investigation steps into high gear; Beckett and Castle continue putting together their wedding party.**

**A/N #1: There will be references made to 'Dial M for Mayor.' This wasn't my favorite S-4 episode, but after re-watching, I discovered a lot of untapped material.**

**A/N #2: How great was the strip poker scene? While I won't be writing a post-6x21 story, I will add something in this story somewhere. I have one game in particular in mind.**

**A/N #3: I also realized that I misspelled the mayor's last name in Chapter 10. It'll be right this time.**

**A/N #4: There is a spoiler for the finale. It deals with a certain picture that was posted of a certain woman in a certain dress. All I'm sayin'.**

Chapter 12: Surprising Secrets

It was chilly on the beach. Kate was warmly dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, athletic shoes on her feet. She had left Castle soundly sleeping in their bed to get in her morning walk. It was chilly but most of the light snow from the day before had thankfully melted. As she walked with her hands in the pocket of her hoodie, her mind was on her wedding and not on the case, for once.

She thought about her wedding dress, wrapped in a garment bag in a closet in her old apartment. She wondered if it was the right dress for a spring wedding. When she had been with the girls on Monday, she had spotted a beautiful dress. Her heart began to pound when she saw it, but at the same time, she didn't want to appear ungrateful to Matilda King for giving her the dress that she already had. The dress that made her unrecognizable to herself when she'd looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She couldn't talk to Castle about the dress. He wasn't even supposed to see it. She decided to talk to Lanie. Her best friend always gave her wonderful advice, although she hadn't always listened to it.

Farther down the beach, she spotted Mr. Riley, Castle's closest neighbor, walking with his dog. She smiled watching him toss a tennis ball for the shepherd/lab mix. The dog would fetch the ball and return it to his master over and over. It reminded her of when she'd had Royal for that short time. Mr. Riley smiled as he approached Kate with the dog at his side. "Morning, Ms. Beckett. I didn't know you and Rick were here. Hopefully the weather will start improving soon."

"I hope so," she smiled; kneeling down as the dog came bounding over to her. "Good morning, Bo." She laughed as the huge dog began licking her face.

"Bo, come on. Let's go home and get breakfast," Mr. Riley called the dog, which reluctantly left Kate's side. "Tell Rick I said 'hey.'"

"I will."

***CCC***

"Fine, Gina," Castle was on his cell phone when he heard the French doors open. He smiled when Kate walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm at the Hamptons house, so you'll need to move the meeting back. Why am I at the Hamptons house? I'll fill you in when I get there. Move the meeting back and text me with the time. Bye."

"You have a meeting?" Kate asked, beginning to feel slightly panicked. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone in this big house by herself.

"Yeah. It was supposed to be at 11, but there's no way I'll be able to get dressed and get there in time, so Gina's going to push it back a couple of hours. You should come with," he suggested, walking to her and pulling her close. "Oh, you're cold. I'm serious, Kate. Come with me."

"Castle, I have no desire to sit in a meeting with you, your ex-wife/agent and your publisher. And I also don't want to wait for you in the reception area, bored out of my mind."

"Well, I don't want you staying here alone. Maybe I could drop you off at the morgue so that you can visit with Lanie."

"Yeah, I could do that," she agreed. "I wanted to talk to her, anyway."

"Good, then it's settled. I'm going to jump in the shower and get dressed, and then we'll take off. We'll eat breakfast along the way."

"Rick?" She called out to him, stopping him at the bottom of the stairs. "Could I get in with you? I need to wash my hair and . . . I don't want water in my face. I need some help."

"Come on," he held his hand out to her.

A little over an hour later, they were in Castle's Mercedes, heading to the city for the day. "Thank you," she smiled at him.

"Always," he smiled at her. "See, I told you that it's possible for us to take a shower together without sex getting in the way."

She laughed at that. Castle had awakened her sometime in the middle of the night, and they had engaged in slow, sleepy sex. She wasn't even sure how awake she had been, although her orgasm had been exquisite. "What time did you wake me up this morning?"

"Why, Det. Beckett, I have no idea what you mean," he teased, his blue eyes twinkling. "I don't know. I woke up and you were looking so beautiful . . . I couldn't resist. You had an objection?"

"No," she blushed, her face growing hot. "No objections at all. I just never realized snoring and drooling was such a turn-on for you."

Now it was Castle's turn to laugh. "So, I was thinking about making paella for dinner tonight. So, when we head back to the house, we'll stop in town to do some shopping."

Kate felt like groaning. She loved paella, but it was so time consuming to make and it always resulted in a ton of leftovers. The last time he'd made it; she had taken leftovers in to the boys and even offered some to the captain, who had accepted graciously, commending Castle on his culinary skills the next day. "Does it freeze?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because the last time you made it, we had leftovers for days."

"Okay, while I'm in my meeting, I'll rethink our dinner options."

"Thank you. Let's save paella for when we're back at the loft with your mother and Alexis."

***CCC***

"Where are we on our suspects?" Capt. Gates asked, coming around the corner off of the elevator into the bullpen.

"Both Bill Moss and Vulcan Simmons have agreed to come in with their attorneys. Moss is due here at any time and Simmons will be here this afternoon," Ryan announced.

"Terrific. Esposito, I want you in the interrogation room with me when I interview Mr. Moss. Ryan, I have turned a bag of scraps over to Ms. Ellis. See if you can help her piece something out of the mess."

"Yes, sir," Ryan agreed.

Attorney Bill Moss arrived with his own 600 dollar an hour mouthpiece half an hour later. Gates and Esposito showed them to an interrogation room where both men were offered coffee. Gates them put a small microphone in the middle of the table and turned it on. "Before we begin, Mr. Moss, I need to read you your rights."

"I'm waiving them. Ask me whatever you need to," Moss said as his attorney nudged him. "It's all right, Frank. I know why I'm here."

"So, you're not denying that you made a threatening call to Det. Kate Beckett?" Gates asked him.

"I wasn't threatening her; I was _warning _her. I was trying to warn all of you. You people have no idea what you're looking into."

"Before my client says anything more, I'd like to know what you're offering," Moss' lawyer, Frank Webster, spoke up.

"We don't make deals, Mr. Webster. That's up to the D.A. and right now, she's not offering anything. So, your client can tell us what he knows and I'll pass that information along to the D.A. or I can charge him with making terroristic threats to a police officer."

"I told you, I wasn't making a threat," Moss repeated.

"Start talking, Mr. Moss. Are you still representing Jordan Norris?"

"No, I only represented him long enough to get him out of your police station that day before he started talking."

"Who asked you to represent him?"

"Ben Moss. He's my father. He operated a political Super-PAC. He's got dirt on Sen. William Bracken. I think that Bracken had him arrested for paying his driver to try to assassinate him, but he claims that he had nothing to do with that. He says that he was framed."

"Why did your father call you about representing Jordan Norris?"

"Because Bracken is a heavy hitter. He's running the entire drug operation in Washington Heights from the friggin' U.S. Senate. He's a dangerous man, Captain. Far more dangerous than you can possibly realize. If Norris were to start talking, heads were going to start rolling."

"The mayor?" Gates asked.

"No, not Weldon himself, but the majority of his staff. If Bracken had succeeded in bringing Weldon down, then you'd kick Mr. Castle out of your precinct. He wanted Det. Beckett to back off of her mother's case. He knew that if she dug deep enough and hard enough, she'd find the evidence necessary to at the very least bring him in for questioning."

"Does your father have anything on Bracken?" Esposito asked.

"My father groomed Bracken for his political career. But he's also the type of man who believes in insurance. He has a number of recordings."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm the one who killed Laura Cambridge," Moss suddenly announced.

"Bill, what're you doing?" His lawyer was incredulous. "Captain, may I have a moment with my client?"

"Of course. While you're conferring with your client, I'll put in a call to the district attorney," Gates got up and left the room with Esposito right behind her. "Well, that was interesting."

"He fits the description of the man who stole the hard drive from Dial a Goddess," Espo remembered. "Six feet tall with dark hair."

"We need to find out if he still has the hard drive if he is indeed Laura Cambridge's murderer. I'm going to call the D.A."

***CCC***

"Girl, I just saw you a few days ago," Lanie hugged Kate tightly. "What brings you down here?"

"Castle has a meeting at Black Pawn, and he didn't feel comfortable leaving me alone at the house and truthfully, the idea kind of made me all jumpy inside. I wanted to talk to you, anyway. Lanie, I don't want you to be a bridesmaid," her friend looked suddenly crestfallen, so Kate quickly continued. "I want you to be my maid of honor. You're my best friend, after all."

"Oh my god, I feel like I just got promoted," Lanie once again hugged Kate, this time bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Uh, getting a little nauseous here," Kate warned as Lanie stopped bouncing. "Also, when you and Alexis were trying on dresses, I saw a dress, Lanie. Don't get me wrong. I love the dress that Matilda gave me. But, this dress," her face got dreamy as Lanie smiled. "Lanie, it's so beautiful. It's just so . . . girly."

"Well, let me clock out for a little while and we'll go take a look at this 'girly' dress," Lanie smiled at her friend.

Lanie and Kate got into Lanie's car as the newly appointed maid of honor drove to the bridal boutique they had visited just a few days earlier. The salesgirl smiled when they entered the store. "Ms. Beckett, it's nice to see you again. Have you changed your mind about the bridesmaids' dresses?"

"No, the dresses are perfect," Kate smiled. "You had a wedding dress when we were here on Monday. It was sleeveless and had a full skirt. Do you still have it?"

"Kind of a flowery crocheted bodice?" The girl asked as Kate bit her lip and nodded hopefully. "I think I know the dress that you're talking about. I'll be right back."

Kate clasped her hands in front of her, trying not to pace nervously waiting for the girl to come back. Moments later, the salesgirl returned with a plastic wrapped white dress. She placed the dress on a rack and removed the plastic as both women gasped. "Oh, yes," Kate sighed. "Lanie, what do you think?"

"Girl, I haven't seen the dress that Matilda gave you, but I can tell you that if Castle sees you in this, he will die. Can she try it on?" Lanie asked the young woman.

"Definitely. Come with me."

Lanie was sitting out front waiting a short time later when a vision that she didn't even recognize as her best friend came walking out from the dressing room with the young woman right behind her. "Oh, Kate," Lanie breathed.

Kate stood in front of the tri-mirror and looked at her reflection staring back at her. If anything, this dress was even more perfect than the one she'd tried on for Matilda King. The skirt was full, swirling around her. She couldn't wait to dance her first dance with Castle in this dress. She couldn't wait to walk down the aisle on her father's arm to him in this dress. She blushed slightly as she thought about him removing this dress from her body before they made love for the first time as man and wife. "It needs a few alterations," the girl moved around Kate, tucking the material with her fingers at Kate's slim waistline. "But we can have it altered before your May 12th date."

"How much is this dress?"

"This particular dress is $18,500."

"Dollars?" Lanie squeaked.

"You can put down a deposit to hold it and pay the rest before the wedding."

"Kate—"

"Lanie, I _want _this dress. I don't want anybody else getting _my _dress. Let's fill out the paperwork for it," Kate smiled.

"Come on, I'll help you get changed and then we'll get started."

Half an hour later, they were driving back toward the morgue, Kate with a satisfied smile on her face, while Lanie was still in shock. She'd watched enough of those wedding shows on cable to know that weddings were big business, but twenty grand for a dress? "Kate, not that it's any of my business, but that's a lot of money to spend on a dress that you're only going to wear once."

"When my mom died, I got part of the money from her life insurance. It was put in trust until I was 25, but it's allowed me to supplement my salary when I needed it to. I think that my mom would want me to have the dress of my dreams to marry the man of my dreams, don't you think?" She looked at Lanie with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, she would. Let's grab a quick bite before I have to get back."

***CCC***

"He's claiming that he killed Laura Cambridge?" D.A. Denise Lucas was in Capt. Gates office.

"That's what he's saying," Gates confirmed.

"Has he offered evidence to back up his story?"

"Not yet. His lawyer shut him down the second that he confessed. He asked to talk to him and I came out here to call you."

"I want to hear what he has to say before I offer him anything," Ms. Lucas said as Gates nodded. "Let's go talk to him and his attorney."

Moss and his lawyer were still speaking quietly when Gates and the D.A. walked back into the interrogation room. "Mr. Moss, this is D.A. Lucas."

"Before I offer you any type of a deal, Mr. Moss, I want to hear what you have to say about the murder of Laura Cambridge. I also want to know what you might know about the conspiracy behind the murders of Johanna Beckett and her colleagues."

"My father would know more about the conspiracy than I do. I just know what he's told me and its all hearsay."

"Tell me about the murder of Laura Cambridge," the D.A. instructed the attorney.

"Jordan Norris had confessed over the phone to Ms. Cambridge about the plot to frame Mayor Weldon for embezzlement. His phone was being tapped which was how it was learned that he'd talked. I received a call telling me that I needed to 'take care' of Ms. Cambridge before she went to the media or the mayor with this information." 

"Who called you?"

"Ms. Lucas—"

"Who called you?" She repeated.

"Senator William Bracken. The money that was funding the Reading Train Foundation had come courtesy of Future Forward. And Future Forward is being funded by drug money."

"Is there proof of this or the call that he made to you?"

"Unfortunately, no. That's how he's managed to do what he's done for so long. He's careful and he makes sure that he covers his tracks extremely well. He also has other people to do his dirty work for him. It makes it that much harder to trace things back to him."

"Tell me about Ms. Cambridge's murder."

"After I got the call, I saw Ms. Cambridge at the library fundraiser. She had made arrangements to speak to Mayor Weldon privately. I couldn't allow that to happen. _He _wouldn't allow that to happen. So, I signed out a car from the motor pool and I approached her. I told her that something had come up and that the mayor had asked me to give her a ride home. I lied to her and told her that he'd promised to call her the next day. I drove to where she was found. When she asked me why I had stopped there, that was when I strangled her. I then abandoned the car and took a cab back to my apartment. When I learned that the police had gone to Dial a Goddess, I figured that there had to be incriminating evidence on their computers. So I pretended to be from the gas company and I stole the hard drive."

"Do you still have the hard drive?"

"I do."

"I'm going to need that drive."

"What are you offering in exchange?" Mr. Webster asked.

"Voluntary manslaughter, seven to fifteen. _If _he turns over the hard drive and helps us to get the other players."

"Bracken's the only other player that I know of and if I help you take him down, you might as well shoot me right now."

"What do you know about Vulcan Simmons?"

"I don't know anyone by that name."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Esposito spoke up. "You knew that Future Forward is being funded by a drug operation out of Washington Heights. If you knew that, then you know that Vulcan Simmons is the head of that operation. That's common knowledge in New York and has been for years."

"Fine, I know who Simmons is, but I've never personally met with him."

"Mr. Moss, if you keep screwing with me, I'm going to move the charges back up to Murder Two, and that's 25 to life, in case you've forgotten," Ms. Lucas leaned over the table, getting in Moss' face.

"I know about the house in Scarsdale. I know that Simmons tried to kill Det. Beckett. Hearing that she's still alive isn't setting too well with him."

"What about Elena Markov?" Gates asked. "Have you ever met her?"

"No."

"So, if I told you that Elena Markov was Bracken's little hired monkey, this would be news to you?"

"I've never heard of her, but like I said, Bracken uses others to do his dirty work. He hired Dick Coonan to murder Johanna Beckett and her colleagues, Hal Lockwood to take out Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery. When Lockwood failed to kill Beckett, he hired Cole Maddox to shoot her at Montgomery's funeral. And for the record, all of this is on recordings that my father has."

"Do you know a Michael Smith?"

"He was a lawyer in a rival firm. He retired a long time ago. I never really knew him, I just knew of his reputation."

"After I hear what's on the hard drive that you took, we'll play Let's Make a Deal. Until then, you're going to be held in a holding cell."

"Frank, the hard drive is locked in the safe in my office at home. My wife can get it for you."

"Bill—"

"Just get the drive," he said tersely.

***CCC***

Kate and Lanie were sitting in the M.E.'s office, sipping on decadently thick shakes from Remy's when Castle walked in. "Hey, Castle," Kate smiled happily as her fiancé stepped up to her and kissed her. "How was your meeting?"

"Incredibly boring. You look like you've had more fun today than I have."

"I found a dress," she smiled mysteriously.

"A dress? Wait! I thought that you already have a dress."

"I do . . . I did. I found another dress. A dress that I like better," she continued smiling.

"I called Alexis after I left my meeting. We're going to meet with her at the loft before we head back to the Hamptons. I thought that we should both talk to her about what we discussed yesterday."

"Okay. So, do you want to go now?"

"Yeah, she gets out of her last class soon, so she said that she'd meet us at home."

"Lanie," Kate stood up and held her arms out to her friend, "thank you so much for today."

"Girl, you know that you're welcome. Don't even give Writer Boy here a hint of what that dress looks like," she whispered in Kate's ear. "Make him dream about it."

"I won't," Kate smiled brightly at Castle before hugging Lanie. "I'll call you tonight."

When they arrived at the loft, Alexis was already waiting for them. "Dad, Kate!" She hugged both of them tightly. "Should you guys be in the city?"

"It's okay," Kate assured her. "Your dad had a meeting and he didn't want to leave me alone."

"What did you want to talk to me about? Am I going to be a big sister?" She teased, grinning at her father and his fiancée.

"As appealing as that idea is, the answer is no," Kate returned Alexis' grin. "Your dad and I were talking last night. Alexis, as much as I'd love for you to be a bridesmaid, I think that it would be only right that you stood up at the altar with your father."

"As what?"

"Well, you've always told me that I was your go-to guy. How about if you serve as my best man?"

"What about Ryan and Esposito? I thought that you would ask one of them to be your best man?" Alexis was confused.

"I thought about that, but I'd have to choose between them, and I really don't want to have to be put in that position. Besides, you're far more responsible than either one of them," he added as all three of them chuckled.

"So, what does the best man do?"

"You hold onto Kate's ring for me, you organize the bachelor party, you serve as host at both the wedding and the reception, and you keep the groom calm the day of the wedding. Oh, and you get to decorate the car." He gave her a broad grin at the last bit of information while Kate just rolled her eyes. She could just imagine the number of cars Castle had decorated in his younger days.

"You also get to make a speech at the reception," Kate added.

"I have to say something?" Alexis gave them both a horrified expression. "Can I just re-run my Valedictorian speech?"

"You will come up with something just as meaningful," Castle assured her. "So, what do you say?"

"Kate, are you sure? I don't want you to feel left out."

"Sweetie, I have plenty of wedding party on my side. Please don't worry about me."

"In that case, I will gladly be your best man," Alexis hugged her father, as he embraced her just as tightly.

Kate smiled while she watched them. He always managed to make fatherhood look so sexy. She couldn't wait to start that part of her journey with him.

***CCC***

"What have we got?" Ryan asked Tori Ellis, who was painstakingly piecing together tiny scraps of paper.

"I hated jigsaw puzzles when I was a kid and now I remember why. I've managed to piece together another partial money order with part of the same numbers that were on the money order that we already have. So, it traces back to Bracken. But, other than that, I don't have anything else."

"Ryan?" Ryan turned to find LT standing there. "Simmons and his attorney are here."

"Thanks," Ryan turned to Tori, who waved him off. "I'll be back to help you when I can."

Ryan stepped out into the bullpen where Vulcan Simmons and his attorney were waiting for him. "Detective, let's get this bullshit over with," Simmons said in his deep bass voice.

"Fine. Follow me," Ryan walked down the short hallway toward Interrogation Room 2 as the two men followed behind him. After setting up the video camera and the microphone, Ryan entered in his name, badge number, the date, and the names of the other parties in the room before looking into the hate-filled eyes of the man sitting across from him. The man who had allegedly tried to kill one of his friends just a week before. "Mr. Simmons, what do you know about Senator William Bracken and Future Forward?"

"On the advice of my attorney, I'm invoking my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination," Simmons sat back in his chair while Ryan felt like reaching across the table and punching him in the throat.

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	13. Chapter 13--Eye of the Dragon

**DISCLAIMERS: Sure, Marlowe has turned the reins over to me. Not!**

**SUMMARY: What is on the hard drive that Bill Moss stole from Dial a Goddess? On the Caskett front, Kate begins to feel stifled by Castle's need to take care of her. This chapter has an M-rating for Caskett makeup sex.**

**A/N #1: The reviews for Chapter 12 were phenomenal. Thank you so much. I was worried that the whole Bill Moss/Jordan Norris thing wouldn't make any sense. **

**A/N #2: Thank you to Pnxgirl for pointing out to me that Tori would've just downloaded all of those tiny scraps of paper into her computer.**

**A/N #3: There's a spoiler at the end dealing with one of the sneak peeks for Monday night's episode. I apologize if you're trying to stay spoiler free.**

Chapter 13: Eye of the Dragon

"What do you mean, he took the Fifth?" Gates' eyes were huge and angry.

"Simmons and his lawyer sat across from me and he then told me that on the advice of his attorney, he was invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination. Do you think it would help if Ms. Lucas talked to them and offered Simmons some kind of a deal?"

"Det. Ryan, if we offer every player in this conspiracy a deal, there's going to be nobody left to do any time! I'll talk to the D.A. to see what she has to say."

Capt. Gates approached D.A. Denise Lucas, who was completing her paperwork concerning Bill Moss and his possible deal. "Mr. Moss' attorney is on his way to his client's home now to retrieve the hard drive," Ms. Lucas told her.

"Mr. Simmons is here with his attorney. However, he is invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. My detective was wondering if you wanted to try to talk to him."

"I can try, but if he's invoking his rights, I doubt there's little that I can say or do to dissuade him." 

Ryan had returned to the interrogation room where Vulcan Simmons and his attorney were still waiting. A moment later, Capt. Gates and the D.A. walked in. "Mr. Simmons, I'm D.A. Denise Lucas. I want to thank you for coming in today so that we can get some matters cleared up."

"I already told Det. Ryan here that I'm not saying anything. You can't make me revoke my right to remain silent."

"That's true, I can't. But, if you know anything about Sen. William Bracken, it would be in your best interest to work with us, Mr. Simmons, and not against us. I can offer you a deal; I can work with the Justice Department to put you and your family into Wit-Sec if you're scared."

"Scared? Lady, do I look like the kind of man who gets scared easily to you? I've dealt with scarier people than a fucking senator. I eat people like him for breakfast."

"Tell us about Lazarus," the D.A. looked at him.

"I'm pleading the Fifth. What part of that do you people _not _understand?"

"Unless you're charging Mr. Simmons with a crime, we're leaving," he got up and motioned to Simmons, both men leaving the room.

"Well, that was a bust," the D.A. sighed. "What was his alibi for the night that Det. Beckett was attacked in Scarsdale?"

"That he and his wife had gone to dinner and a movie. Credit card receipts back up his story," Ryan said.

"Did witnesses see them?"

"We just have his wife's word and the receipts."

"Question his friends and the wait staff at the restaurant he supposedly went to. Try to break his alibi. If we can break his alibi, then we'll bring him back in."

"Yes, ma'am."

***CCC***

It was late afternoon when Castle drove him and Kate back to the house in the Hamptons. Kate looked over at him and smiled. "How was your meeting? Did Gina's head explode when you told her that we're getting married in a month and a half?"

"Actually, she was very gracious, which was sort of surprising," Castle made a face. "She told me to extend her congratulations to you."

"Please tell me that you're not inviting your ex-wife to the wedding."

"Oh, no. No ex-wives," he shuddered. "I've already warned Alexis to not even tell her mother about our marriage until after we leave for our honeymoon."

"Speaking of honeymoons, where are we going for ours? Bora Bora?"

"Uh, to be honest, I haven't given it a lot of thought. Do you want to try to go to Bora Bora? My broken knee ruined it the last time."

"I want to go somewhere romantic," she gave him a dreamy smile as her phone alerted her to a text message. "Oh my god!"

"What's wrong? Your dad?"

"No. Capt. Gates just texted me and said that Bill Moss has confessed to the murder of Laura Cambridge. They're going to be dumping the contents of the hard drive that he stole from Dial a Goddess."

"Is he connected to Bracken?"

"I don't know. She doesn't say. Wow," she sighed.

"The pieces are coming together, Kate," he looked over at her. "They're getting close to taking down the dragon."

Kate didn't answer. She just stared out of the car window at the passing scenery. Her emotions were threatening to get the better of her. Was it really possible that after 15 years, her mother and her colleagues were finally going to get the justice that had eluded them? She hoped that there was good information on that stolen hard drive.

Castle cast a glance over at Kate before focusing his attention back on the road. He could tell that the very idea that this could be coming to an end was as foreign to her as going to the moon. After all, she had been fighting this battle for justice for most of her adult life. He just wanted her to finally have the peace that she deserved. He didn't want this to continue looming over their future.

They walked into the house a little over an hour later. Castle walked into the refrigerator, removed two bottles of water and offered one to Kate, who took it gratefully. "So, you bought a new dress," he said in a casual tone as Kate perched on a barstool.

"Yeah."

"Do you mind if I ask you how expensive this new dress is?"

"Yeah, I mind, Castle. It's not any of your business!"

"I'm sorry," he was quick to apologize. "It's just that if I had known you were looking for a new dress, I would've gladly bought it for you."

"Castle, you're not supposed to even _see _my dress until I walk down the aisle! I'm not destitute! I mean, I'm not a multi-millionaire best-selling novelist, but I took care of myself before I ever met you and I did a damn good job of it! I got money from my mom's life insurance policy. Was it enough for me to quit my job? No, but it was enough for me to live a little better than your average beat cop. Castle, I know that you love me, and I love you very much. But, I don't need you to take care of me."

"I didn't mean to insinuate that you can't take care of yourself. It's just . . . I thought that you already had this dress that you obviously fell in love with. I just don't understand why you bought something that you didn't really need."

"So, you're saying that I'm throwing my money away on something that I didn't need? This coming from a man who pays money to play video games against people he's never going to meet! Are you even hearing yourself right now? At least I'm buying something that I'm going to see! I need some air!"

"Kate . . . please don't run from me. We can talk about this."

"Talk about what? The fact that you feel like I'm wasting my money? That it's okay for me to wear a dress that was given to me even though I feel like the dress isn't me? Castle, I'm only getting married once. I told you that a long time ago. You told me that you wanted our wedding day to be special for _me_," she said, pointing at her chest for emphasis.

"I do."

"I want to look beautiful for you, Rick," her voice caught and tears filled her eyes. "Matilda's dress . . . while it's beautiful, it's not me. It's not my style. This dress that I bought this morning . . . it's my fairy tale. It's the dress that I dreamed of wearing when I was a little girl. It's like the dress that my mom wore when she married my dad."

"I'm sorry, Kate. I never thought about the thought process that you would go through for this wedding. It's easier for me. I just have to make sure that my tux fits and that my shoes are shined," he looked at her with a wistful smile. "As for taking care of you, I like taking care of you."

"I know, but you don't _have _to take care of me. I've taken care of myself for a long time, sometimes more successfully than others, but I'm used to doing things myself."

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I need to take care of you for me? When I'm able to take care of you, it makes me feel . . . I don't know," he sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. "It makes me feel needed. It lets me know that you need me."

Now she understood. When Meredith had left Rick all those years ago to raise Alexis alone, he had had someone who needed him; someone who had depended on him for everything. But now Alexis was almost a grown woman and was moving forward in her own life. Now he had Kate, who was a strong, independent woman. A woman who was used to taking care of herself. "Oh, Rick," she breathed, walking over and cupping his face with her hands, brushing her lips against his. "I do need you. More than you can possibly know."

"The idea that you want to look so beautiful for me . . . wow, Kate."

"Why wouldn't I want to look beautiful for you? I love you. I think right now we're both feeling a little overwhelmed by the past few days. So, why don't we go upstairs, light some candles, put on some soft music, and go to bed."

"Do I even get a hint about the dress?" A small smile passed his lips.

"It's made of fabric."

"Cute," he kissed her softly, feeling her press into him.

"I know. Come on," she took his hand and led him up the stairs to their bedroom.

***CCC*** 

"Ms. Ellis, here is the hard drive that Bill Moss stole from Dial a Goddess. Can you see what you can get from this drive?" Capt. Gates asked the computer tech.

"What're you looking for exactly?"

"Anything having to do with Mayor Weldon and the embezzlement of millions of dollars. Also, anything associated with Senator William Bracken. If you find anything having to do with any of those two things, let me or the other detectives know immediately."

"Yes, sir," Tori took the drive.

"Have you found anything else from those scraps of paper?"

"Well, I was trying to piece them together by hand until I woke up and downloaded them into my computer. Right now I'm letting it do the work, but it might take several more hours."

"Okay. Let me know if you discover anything."

"Yes, sir."

"So, what do we do now?" Ryan asked when the captain walked back out.

"You said that this started back in 1992 when a ghost crew of corrupt cops began kidnapping mobsters for ransom?"

"Yes, sir," Espo answered.

"It all went sideways with the murder of Bob Armen by Roy Montgomery. The murder was pinned on Joe Pulgatti."

"And Johanna Beckett was working on his appeal?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, someone didn't want the truth coming to light. All right, I want the two of you to go to the prison and talk to Mr. Pulgatti. Get his statement on tape."

"Yes, sir," both men answered.

"Call the warden of the prison and get the ball rolling on the interview. If anything is found on the hard drive, I'll let you know."

"What about Ben Moss?"

"I will call Mr. Moss and invite him to come down to talk to me. If he refuses, I'll find a way to deal with that. You have your assignment, detectives."

***CCC***

The bedroom was quiet except for the sound of soft jazz playing on the iPod and the heavy breathing of the two occupants of the bed. Kate kissed Castle softly on the neck, tasting the saltiness of his sweat-slicked skin. His fingers lightly skimmed her back as she continued trailing kisses down his body. She moved the sheet that was covering them, her fingers reaching down to his cock, feeling it lightly twitch under her skilled fingers.

Castle groaned, feeling the blood rushing back to his manhood. "You're going to kill me, Kate," he groaned at the feeling of her stroking him, rubbing her thumb across the top of his penis.

Kate placed hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses down Castle's abdomen, tickling his navel with her tongue as he arched under her. Kissing his hipbone and the inside of his thigh, she finally wrapped her lips around him, tasting herself on him from their earlier lovemaking session. She felt him grow in her mouth, the full length and thickness of him spurring her on. She loved having Castle in her mouth, loved what she could do to him with her lips, tongue, and an occasional scrape of her teeth.

But as much as she loved having him in her mouth, she loved having him inside of her even more. After sucking him until he was once again hard as iron, she moved up and threw her leg over his hips, straddling him. Giving him her trademark wide smile, she reached down for him, placing him at her entrance before sinking down on him with such agonizing slowness that Castle could barely breathe.

Kate closed her eyes and groaned at the feeling of him filling her, stretching her. His answering groan met hers when their pelvises finally meshed together. He reached up for her breasts, squeezing them in his hands as she began to slowly rock against him, whimpering each time her engorged clit rubbed against his pelvic bone. Kate placed her hands on his chest to balance herself as her movements became choppier, her breathing more erratic.

Recognizing that she was close to coming, Castle dropped one hand from her breasts and placed it on her swollen bundle of nerves, rubbing hard the way he knew that she enjoyed. Throwing her head back, she let out a long, loud scream as her muscles clamped down around him, pulsating and squeezing. Collapsing onto his chest, she could still feel his impressive hardness inside of her. "You didn't come," she murmured, feeling boneless and incredibly satiated as his arms came around her.

"I've already come once," he reminded her. "You women have it easy with your short recovery times and multiple orgasms."

"Do you want to try to give me one more orgasm?" She asked against his chest.

"A challenge. I like it," he rolled them over so that Kate was underneath him.

"Castle, it's not a challenge when you always make me come more than once anyway," her words were cut off by a sharp gasp when her fiancé hooked his arms under her knees, causing her to feel him deep inside of her. "Oh fuck, Castle."

Castle made three deep thrusts, followed by three more shallow thrusts, pulling almost all of the way out and then plunging back in, as Kate grasped his arms and tried to meet his thrusts, but the position that he had her in made that impossible. Alternating the thrusts for several minutes, he finally began to feel the familiar tingling in his body, signaling that he was getting ready to come.

Kate's eyes were closed, her mouth opened as she moaned her pleasure. Her moans were interspersed with soft cries that were getting louder with every thrust. "Oh fuck, Castle. Do that again," she begged when she felt him reach that spot inside of her that only he'd ever been able to reach. That spot that turned her into a quivering mass every time. "I'm almost there. Kiss me, Rick. I need to taste you."

Dropping down, he quickly covered her lips with his, groaning when she thrust her tongue into his mouth. "Shit, Kate," he mumbled against her lips, swallowing her cry of release when he felt her clamp around him once more. Seconds later, he emptied himself deep inside of her which set off another small orgasm in Kate. He dropped soft kisses along her jaw and neck before kissing her on the lips once again, their tongues lazily stroking each other. "You are extraordinary. I don't think I will ever get tired of being with you like this."

"So, did that count as makeup sex?" She softly caressed his cheek, smiling up at him.

"It can count as anything that you want it to," he rubbed his nose against hers. "Shower or bath?"

"Tub. I'm not sure I can stand up in the shower," she teased. She groaned when she felt him slip out of her when he rolled off of her.

"I'll go run us a bath," he kissed her on the forehead before getting out of bed.

***CCC***

D.A. Lucas had informed Gates that Ben Moss was out on bond following his arrest for conspiracy charges in connection with the attempted assassination of Senator Bracken a little over a year earlier. His trial was scheduled to start that summer. "He's facing life in prison. I'm sure that he'll jump at the chance to make a deal," the D.A. told Gates while the two women sat in her office.

Gates sighed, and dialed the number that she had for Ben Moss. "Mr. Moss, this is Capt. Victoria Gates, 12th Precinct Homicide. I have some questions about Senator William Bracken."

"What about him?"

"Mr. Moss, we have your son in custody for the murder of Laura Cambridge. He told us that you had some recordings of Senator William Bracken making some illicit deals."

"I want a deal."

"I have the district attorney sitting in my office with me right now. If you come in with your attorney and tell us what you know, she'll see what she can do."

"Let me contact my attorney. I'll call you back in half an hour," he said as he ended the connection.

Gates looked up when Ryan knocked on her door. "Sir? We've spoken to the warden at Five Points Correctional and he's made arrangements for Esposito and me to speak to Joe Pulgatti tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock."

"Fine. I want you and Det. Esposito to see what you can dig up on Michael Smith."

"Yes, sir."

Ryan walked back over to his desk, sighing dejectedly when he sat down. "What's up, bro?" Espo asked.

"Gates wants us to see what we can find on Michael Smith."

"Why? The dude's dead."

"Javi, he told Castle and Beckett in the hospital that he owed Montgomery a favor," Ryan remembered. "I wonder if Evelyn Montgomery would know anything about him."

"There's only one way to find out. Let's go pay her a visit."

In her office, Capt. Gates telephone rang. "Gates!" She answered.

"Capt. Gates, this is Ben Moss. I've spoken to my attorney. We'll be at the precinct tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock."

"Thank you, Mr. Moss. I appreciate your cooperation."

***CCC***

"Castle, I don't ever want you to think that I don't need you," Kate kissed Castle's bicep as he tightened his arms around her in the huge bathtub full of bubbles. "If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd ever be able to face getting into a tub again. You're my rock."

"I can't wait to see you in that dress," he kissed her temple. "Your hair and makeup done to perfection, that brilliant smile on your face when you walk down the aisle on your father's arm. It's going to be so perfect."

Kate smiled and snuggled closer into his shoulder. She loved Castle so much that it sometimes frightened her. She'd never felt this way about anyone. "You're going to be ruggedly handsome in your tuxedo, with a huge white orchid in your lapel, your perfectly shined shoes, and your perfect hair."

"I do have perfect hair," he deadpanned, kissing her temple again and laughing softly when she slapped at him. He was about to say something further when he heard Kate's stomach growl loudly, causing both of them to laugh. "Are you hungry, Beckett?"

"A little," she admitted.

"Then, we need to get you out of here so that I can feed you."

She moved up so that Castle could step out of the tub. He then held his hand out to her so that she could step into the huge towel that he held out for her. But instead of drying her off, he pulled her into his arms, letting his lips travel down her neck to her collarbone. "Castle? Hungry, Castle. Food. Remember?"

"Come on, let's go and eat."

***CCC***

"I didn't know Michael Smith well," Evelyn Montgomery sat in her living room with Ryan and Esposito. "I only met him at our wedding and one time after that, several years later."

"Do you remember when that second meeting was?" Esposito asked, taking a sip of iced tea.

"Um, I think that I had just had Evan, so it was around 1992 or 1993. Roy hadn't been on the job for very long."

"What was the meeting about?" Ryan asked, although he strongly suspected that it had something to do with Bracken and the ghost crew.

"I don't know. I know that it was intense. Roy asked me to leave and when Mr. Smith left about 45 minutes later, Roy looked upset. When I asked him if something was wrong, he told me not to worry about it, that he had everything under control."

"And you never met Michael Smith again?" Esposito wanted to know.

"No. I never gave his name a second thought until today."

"Do you know how Roy knew Michael Smith?"

"I know that Mr. Smith was an attorney, so I just assumed that Roy knew him when he was doing estate planning after he graduated from the academy. I know that he told me once that he wanted to make sure that the children and I were well provided for if something was to happen to him."

"Well, thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Evelyn," Ryan stood up as Esposito followed suit.

"You're welcome. Don't be such strangers. How is Kate? I haven't talked to her in a while."

"She's doing well. Her and Castle are getting married pretty soon."

"Really?" Evelyn smiled. "Roy would be so happy. He told me once that he thought that Kate was in love with Castle, but she'd be the last person to admit it. Give her my congratulations when you see her."

"We will," Esposito promised.

The two detectives were quiet until they got into their car and Espo started the engine. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ryan broke the silence.

"I'm thinking that Smith kept Montgomery's secret for a hell of a long time. That was why Montgomery sent Smith those files right before he met Lockwood in the hanger. So, that Smith held the strings over Bracken after Roy's death."

"Which is why they killed Smith. Because he refused to give up the files."

"Bro, something's bothering me," Esposito said as Ryan looked at him. "We need to look at something when we get back to the house."

The second that they stepped back into the bullpen at the 12th Precinct, Esposito typed in a name on his computer. Soon, Michael Smith's entire history came up. "What're we looking at?" Ryan asked, pulling his chair up beside his partner's.

"I have a problem, bro. It says that Smith died, but where's the report from the M.E.?"

"So, what're you saying? That someone faked Smith's death?"

"Yeah, to protect him. He's as much a target of Bracken's wrath as Beckett is. I'm telling you, the dude isn't dead."

"Dude, Gates is _not _going to like hearing this," Ryan warned his partner. "This case has developed more twists and turns than a fucking rollercoaster."

"Hey Ryan! Esposito!" Karpowski called out to them. "A call just came in reporting screams coming from 3278 Lansing Street in Washington Heights."

"That's Vulcan Simmons residence," Esposito said as he and Ryan grabbed their jackets.

**A/N #4: Chapter 14 is going to feature the return of someone from Beckett's past that we all love to hate (Hint: It **_**isn't **_**Josh).**

**A/N #5: I don't know how old Montgomery's son was, but I figured late teens/early 20's. I know his daughters were younger.**

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	14. Chapter 14--A Chilling Message

**DISCLAIMERS: Nope, still not mine and never will be.**

**SUMMARY: Suspects come and go as the body count climbs. A person from Beckett's past makes a return with a surprising revelation concerning the case.**

**A/N #1: There's a lot going on in this chapter, so it's going to be rather long.**

Chapter 14: A Chilling Message

The crime scene was a bloodbath. Kevin Ryan couldn't remember ever seeing anything so violent. There were four bodies in the house, each of them with their throats slit. "Who are the other three victims?" Ryan asked, standing next to the body of Vulcan Simmons, whose eyes were wide open in death, his expensive suit now drenched in his blood.

"Judging from the family picture on the wall, the other bodies are Simmons wife, his son, and his daughter. A family member of his wife is on her way to identify them for certain."

"Bracken's sending a message," Esposito said.

"CoD is exsanguination," Lanie told them. "I'll tell you more after I get them to the morgue."

"Dr. Parish, Mrs. Simmons sister is here," an officer announced.

Lanie walked over to the front door to stop the woman who was trying to enter. "Mrs. King. I'm Dr. Parish from the Medical Examiner's Office. I need to warn you that the murders were particularly brutal. But we need positive ID's on the other victims. Do you think that you can positively identify them?"

"Doctor, I've been expecting this day for over 15 years since the day my sister married that son of a bitch Victor."

"Victor?"

"That's Vulcan's given name. He took on Vulcan when he was a teenager. He thought it made him sound more threatening. I hope the motherfucker is in hell where he belongs." 

"Follow me, please."

Lanie first walked into the kitchen where a body was lying under a yellow sheet. Mrs. King steeled herself as Lanie slowly pulled back the sheet. "That's my sister Monique." They then moved to the first bedroom, where the sheet was covering the body of a young man in his late teens. "That's my nephew Donte." They then moved to the other bedroom where the last body was covered; that of a girl of about 12 or 13. This time the identification affected Mrs. King. "That's my niece Deandra."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. King," Lanie quietly intoned as they moved back to the small front room.

"I just thank god that my mother didn't live to see this. She always said that Monique was going to come to a bad end if she stayed with Vulcan. Thank god she didn't live to see this, because it would have killed her. Did he suffer?"

"I don't think any of them suffered. But I really won't know until I complete the post-mortems."

"It's too bad. I really wanted that son of a bitch to suffer. I'm sure that I'm not alone in that respect. Do you need anything else from me?"

"No, ma'am. I'll notify you as soon as I complete the autopsies to release the bodies. Does Mr. Simmons have any family?"

"None that are on the outside. His mama's dead, his daddy's in the pen, so are his brothers. Do you know who did this to them?"

"We have a pretty good idea," Ryan intoned.

"I understand why they'd want Vulcan dead, but my sister and those babies were good people. Monique made it her mission to keep Donte out of gangs and in school. She wouldn't even let Vulcan have that boy in his operation."

"Bracken's trying to tie up his loose ends. Bill Moss had better watch out for his family," Esposito said.

"We need to warn Castle and Beckett."

"We also need to tell Gates about our suspicions regarding Smith," Esposito whispered.

It was several hours later by the time they returned to the precinct, followed by another two hours of paperwork, so it was past midnight before the two men were able to call it a night. Gates had gone home after getting updates on the newest murders to cross their desks. Both men wanted to talk to her about Michael Smith, but in light of everything that had happened, they knew that one more night wasn't going to make any difference. Dead or alive, they knew the news could wait until the next morning.

***CCC***

Castle and Kate were sound asleep in each other's arms when Kate's cell began to ring. She woke up, bleary-eyed, groping on her nightstand for her phone. "Who is it?" Castle asked sleepily. "Is there a body drop?"

"I'm on leave, remember?" She whispered, pressing her lips to his forehead before answering her phone. "Beckett."

"Beckett, its Esposito. I'm sorry to call you so late, but Vulcan Simmons is dead."

"He's dead?" Kate sat straight up as Castle's eyes shot open. "Who? How?"

"He and his family, Beckett. We suspect Elena Markov. Their throats were all slit. It happened about an hour after he left the precinct with his attorney."

"Did he say anything when he came in?"

"He pleaded the Fifth. Bracken's getting desperate, Beckett. Tell your dad and Castle's family to watch their backs. I'll talk to Gates tomorrow about putting protection on them."

"Thanks, Javi," she ended the call and put her hands over her mouth, before getting out of bed and quickly making her way to the ensuite.

"Kate?" Castle called out as he heard the sound of wrenching sobs coming from the bathroom. He got out of bed and entered the bathroom, where he found Kate huddled by the bathtub, her head on her knees. "Kate, what's going on?"

"He's dead, Castle," she looked up as tears rolled down her face. "I've killed him a million times in my dreams for the past week! I never dreamed that someone would get to him before I did!"

"Who? Simmons?" Castle sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. "Markov again?"

"Castle, she killed his wife and kids, too. Bracken's getting uglier and more desperate. We need to protect my father, Martha, and Alexis. I know that neither of us would be able to live with ourselves if something happened to one of them."

"I can send my mother and Alexis to the Plaza or The Four Seasons. Could your dad go up to his cabin?"

"Yeah, he could, but it's a long commute for him to get to work," Kate pointed out to him. "And he will never take time off. He probably has several hundred hours of leave accumulated, but he won't use it."

"We could bring them out here, but forgive me for sounding selfish, that don't leave a lot of time for you and me. I'm supposed to be taking care of you."

"And you are. And, you don't sound selfish, Castle. You don't have a selfish bone in your body. I'm sorry that Simmons' wife and children had to die because of him, but I'm not sorry that he's dead. Does that make me an awful person?"

"No, it makes you human," he kissed her before wiping her face with his thumbs. "Let's go back to bed."

He led her back to their bed and got in after her, wrapping his arms around her and spooning himself around her as they both tried to go back to sleep.

***CCC***

"Where are we with the murder of Vulcan Simmons and his family?" Capt. Gates asked early the next morning.

"According to Dr. Parish, the children were probably killed first, and then his wife and Simmons was killed last. Cause of death was exsanguination caused by their carotid arteries being cut by a sharp instrument. She said they all died within about a minute of the attacks," Espo read from the report that had been given to them a short time before by Lanie. "A blood trail led from the bedrooms of the two children which lead us to believe that Mrs. Simmons came home, found the bodies of her son and daughter, and was then killed herself. Our belief is that Elena Markov laid in wait until Simmons returned home from the precinct and then killed him."

"Who found the bodies?"

"A neighbor girl who came over to play with Simmons daughter," Ryan answered. "When nobody answered the door, she looked through the front window and saw Simmons lying on the living room floor."

"And, we're positive that it was Markov?"

"It's her handiwork. Quick throat slashes, no other forensics."

"Ben Moss is coming in this morning to talk to us. The D.A. will be here in an hour. Ryan, I want you in with me when we interrogate him."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir, Ryan and I found something about Michael Smith," Espo looked at his partner, before looking at their captain. "While he was declared dead at the hospital, there's no report from the medical examiner."

"What is that supposed to mean, Detective? Are you insinuating that Mr. Smith might still be alive?"

"We're thinking that his death might've been faked in order to take him into protective custody. After all, he was supposed to have the files that Bracken was after."

"Who was guarding him the night that he supposedly died?"

"Officer Baker," Ryan looked at her. "I asked him to stand guard after Mr. Smith was found badly beaten in his home by Castle and Beckett."

"Was he with Smith the entire time he was at the hospital?"

"He arranged for Castle and Beckett to speak to Mr. Smith. He said that about 20 minutes after they left his room, he got a call from dispatch asking him to stand down. We don't know who from dispatch gave the order, but somebody also disabled the security cameras outside of Smith's room. When Castle and Beckett came back up to Smith's room, the medical staff was pronouncing Smith dead."

"Did Castle or Beckett have any doubts that Mr. Smith was really dead?"

"No, sir. One of the nurses told them that it was a heart attack. He'd been beaten badly, so they had no reason to doubt anything."

"All right, I'll make some calls and see if somebody from the Justice Department will admit to moving him into Wit-Sec, _if_ he's still alive, as the two of you seem to suspect. Who is this Michael Smith, anyway? Beckett claimed to not know anything about him when I asked her about it a while back."

"We asked Evelyn Montgomery about him yesterday. She thinks that he helped Capt. Montgomery with estate planning, but she's not sure. She only met him a couple of times."

"And we're sure that there's no report from the medical examiner's office regarding Mr. Smith?"

"Dr. Parish checked in their system. She says there's nothing."

"All right. Well, I need to make some phone calls before Mr. Moss and his attorney get here."

Ryan and Esposito left Gates' office as she picked up her phone and dialed a number. "May I speak to Candice Robinson, please?" She inquired when the call was answered. "Yes, I'll hold. Candy, Victoria Gates."

"Vic, how are you? I haven't talked to you in months."

"Right now, I'm in the middle of a trying to solve a murder spree. I have a question and I need a straight answer. I need to know what happened to Michael Smith, and don't tell me that you don't know who I'm talking about because I suspect you know who he is only too well."

There was a pause of several minutes before the U.S. Attorney finally spoke. "He was almost beaten to death by a contract killer, Vic."

"I'm aware of that. That same contract killer shot and almost killed one of my detectives. Candy, I really need to talk to him. I also need to speak to the agent who helped arrange for his removal from the hospital."

"I don't know where Smith was moved. He was moved into Wit-Sec by the FBI in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney's Office. The agent in charge is Will Sorensen, but he's been in Europe for the last six months. I can contact him and have him call you."

"No good, Candy. Please give me his number and I'll contact him myself." Gates could hear Robinson chuckle softly before the attorney gave her Sorensen's cell phone number. "Thank you, Candy. Call me later this week and we'll make plans to get together for dinner."

"I will, Vic. Good luck with your case."

Gates hung up and dialed the number she'd been given, getting Sorensen's voicemail. "Agent Sorensen, this is Capt. Victoria Gates from the 12th Precinct in New York City. I need for you to call me when you get this message. It has to do with a man named Michael Smith that you had moved into Wit-Sec in the fall or winter of 2012. You can reach me at 212-555-9189. Thank you."

***CCC***

Castle had been lying awake for over an hour, staring up at the ceiling and thinking. He wondered if they had enough ammunition for the weapons in his safe if they needed them. He thought about his security system. Would it warn them in time if someone were to get in?

His eyes moved over to Kate, who was still sleeping beside him. Her left hand was lightly resting on his stomach, her engagement ring catching the early morning sunlight. He knew how much she loved it when she was actually able to wear his ring on her finger instead of wearing it on the chain around her neck. He couldn't believe that in less than two months this challenging, frustrating, maddening, extraordinary woman was going to be marrying him. He always wanted to pinch himself every time he thought about it. It had been a long road to get to this point, but it was finally going to happen.

He reached for his cell phone and got out of bed as quietly as he could, stepping out of the bedroom and going downstairs. He hit his mother's number in his contacts. "Mother, it's me. Sometime today you and Alexis are probably going to be assigned a protective detail."

"Richard, what in the world is going on? Does this have anything to do with that quadruple homicide that they're talking about on the morning news shows?" Martha asked.

"Yes. Don't ask any more questions. If Alexis isn't already up, wake her. I want the two of you to check into The Four Seasons. I'll call you later. I love you."

"I love you, too. Richard, you and Katherine make sure you're being careful."

"We're okay. Tell Alexis that I'll talk to her later."

Kate opened her eyes and gave him a wide, but sleepy smile when she felt Castle get back into bed next to her. She reached her hand up to caress his face, feeling his stubble under her fingers. "You feel scruffy," she said as he kissed her fingers. "I like it."

He bent down and softly kissed her, as she continued touching his jaw. "Good morning. I'll go make us some coffee."

"'Kay," she flopped over onto her back and watched Castle get out of bed. After he left the room, she got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth.

Looking in the mirror, she couldn't help but think about the death of Vulcan Simmons wife and children. She hadn't even known that he had kids or a wife, for that matter. But she guessed that even scumbag drug kingpins needed someone to love.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Castle was standing behind her with two mugs of steaming coffee in his hands.

"I don't know," she took one of the mugs, smiling gratefully as she took a long sip. "Oh, that's good. What else do we have on our wedding planning list?"

"We need someone to officiate. We could go into town and talk to Father Flynn," he suggested.

"That sounds good. I need to call my dad and tell him to be careful."

"I just called my mother. I told her and Alexis to check into a hotel. I'm sure Gates will put a detail on all three of them soon. Are you okay?" He could see the shadows lurking in her eyes.

"I'll just be glad when we don't have to live like we're in a Jason Bourne movie."

"Me, too," he gave her a soft kiss.

***CCC***

The phone on Gates' desk rang just as Ryan knocked on her door to let her know that Ben Moss and his lawyer were in Interrogation Room Two. "I'll be right there," Gates told him. "I need to take this." She waited for Ryan to leave before answering the phone. "Agent Sorensen?"

"I got your message, Captain. Why are you so interested in Michael Smith?" Sorensen came right to the point.

"He's a person of interest in a previous investigation of ours. I was just made aware of his possible involvement, so I'd really like to talk to him. I'd really like to talk to you about how you came to help him fake his death."

"I did nothing illegal, Captain. Michael Smith came to us and told us that he had information that would put his life in mortal danger if it were to see the light of day."

"Information regarding Senator William Bracken?"

"How do you know about Sen. Bracken?"

"Agent Sorensen, I've got bodies dropping left and right because Sen. Bracken is allegedly trying to tie up loose ends about his other alleged illegal activities. Would it be possible for you to fly to New York so that we can get this cleared up?"

"It's four o'clock here," Sorensen sighed. "I can catch the seven o'clock flight out of Heathrow. I can be at the 12th tomorrow morning at . . . let's say 9:30?"

"I look forward to seeing you, Agent Sorensen," Gates ended the call.

***CCC***

Kate and Castle were getting ready to leave the house when Kate's cell phone rang. "It's Capt. Gates," she told Castle before answering. "Beckett."

"Detective, I'd like you and Mr. Castle to come to the precinct tomorrow morning at nine o'clock so that we can talk about this Michael Smith situation."

"Sir, Michael Smith is dead," Kate said as she looked at Castle.

"So, you do know who he is despite what you told me to the contrary."

"What do you mean 'who he is?' Sir, Smith is dead," she repeated.

"No, Detective, he's not. The agent who helped him get into Wit-Sec is flying in from London tonight and will be here tomorrow morning at 9:30. Hopefully, he'll produce Smith so that we can find out what he knows about Bracken and your mother's murder."

"We'll be there," Kate hung up.

"Smith's alive?" Castle stared at Kate in disbelief.

"Apparently so. Castle, I really don't want to talk about the case. Let's go find someone to marry us," she reached for his hand.

He could feel her internalizing and it was beginning to worry him. She'd never been the chatty one in their relationship, but it got particularly bad when she didn't want to talk about something. He decided to try talking to her once they got back home.

They found the minister in his office at the small church that he presided over. "I'm glad that you've come in to talk to me, Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett. Please sit down. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please," they both answered.

"So, tell me a few things. When is the big day?"

"May 12," Kate smiled, looking at Castle, who nodded in agreement.

"A Monday," Father Flynn smiled at them. "Not many people get married on Monday's. Do you want a traditional ceremony, or were you going to recite your own vows?"

"We want to recite our own vows, but I'd like some traditional elements, as well," Kate said.

"Okay, how about we do this? I'll open with the traditional 'Dearly Beloved,' etc., and then the two of you can recite your vows, and then I'll follow up with the traditional ring ceremony."

"That's perfect," Kate smiled.

"Don't forget the most important part," Castle told the minister. "You may kiss the bride."

"Don't worry, Mr. Castle, I won't forget that part," the minister smiled as Kate rolled her eyes. "Did you want to marry here in the church or do you already have a venue?"

"We want to get married at my house here in the Hamptons right before sunset," Castle answered.

"Oh, that sounds lovely," the minister made a note. "Mr. Castle, I will make arrangements to arrive at your home at 4:30 on the 12th to make final preparations for the ceremony. Is that all right with the two of you?"

"That sounds fine," Castle nodded as he looked over at Kate, who also nodded her approval.

"Then I will see you both on the 12th. Congratulations," he rose to his feet to shake both of their hands.

When they walked outside into the March sunshine, Kate stopped to look at the church. "It is a pretty church, Castle. It looks like something out of a Thomas Kincaid painting."

"Kate, if you'd rather get married here in the church, I'm fine with that."

She turned to look at him, taking his hands in both of hers, giving him a soft smile. "I want to marry you on your back lawn at sunset. That _is _my perfect venue. Come on, let's go back home."

They were walking back to the car when a nearby car alarm going off sent Kate diving for the ground. Castle watched as her eyes darted around, nervously searching for enemies behind every bush and tree. He knew not to say or do anything until the attack passed. Making a fuss over her only made her edgy and angry.

Kate's heart finally stopped pounding and she slowly got back to her feet. "Are you ready to go home?" Castle asked.

"He's probably looking for me, Castle," she clutched his hand.

"Hey," he forced her to look at him. "It's going to be okay. But, if you don't feel safe here, we'll go somewhere where you do feel safe. Okay?"

"I always feel safe with you, Rick," she pressed herself up and kissed him tenderly. "Take me home."

***CCC***

"Bracken framed me," were the first words that came out of Ben Moss' mouth. "I had nothing to do with the attempt on his life. He wants me out of the way because I know things about him. Dangerous things."

"Ben," his attorney cautioned as Moss waved him silent.

"What kind of things do you know about Bracken?" Gates asked.

"I know that he was blackmailing a group of cops who were kidnapping mobsters for ransom. I know that there's a recording out there somewhere that he's desperately trying to find that implicates him in at least half a dozen murders since 1993."

"What's on this recording?" D.A. Lucas asked.

"I don't know. I do know that I've heard talk of it over the years."

"You've heard talk?" The D.A. glared at him. "But are you 100 percent certain of its existence?" 

"No, not 100 percent."

"Do you know a man named Michael Smith?"

"He's Special Counsel for a private litigation firm. Or, at least he was until he retired."

"What about a police captain named Roy Montgomery?"

"Montgomery was one of the corrupt cops Bracken was blackmailing."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Because I groomed Bracken in his political career. We parted ways when he either couldn't or wouldn't let this vendetta of his against Detective Kate Beckett go. Whatever the cost, he is determined to take care of her."

"Do you personally have any proof of what Sen. Bracken is involved in?" Lucas asked.

"No. But I do know that by my talking to you, I'm a dead man walking. Bracken seems to have eyes and ears everywhere."

"We'll get protection for you and your family," Lucas made some notes on a legal pad.

"What about the charges against me?"

"Mr. Moss, you have given us no concrete proof that Bracken is involved in anything. Until such time as we can gather said proof, I'm afraid that the charges of conspiracy will stand," Lucas looked the man in the eye. "I'm sorry."

Ryan left the interrogation room behind Moss and his lawyer. "Did he tell us anything?" Esposito asked.

"Just a lot of speculation," Ryan answered.

"You two need to get to the prison to talk to Pulgatti. Hopefully he can add something to all of this madness. I have an Agent Sorensen flying in tonight from London. He'll be here in the morning, hopefully with Michael Smith and solid proof that Bracken is dirty," Gates walked up behind the two detectives.

"Did you say Sorensen, sir?" Ryan looked at Espo.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Not very well, but Beckett knows him extremely well," Ryan said.

"He's the one who helped Smith fake his death?" Espo added.

"It would appear that way. Get to your interview, gentlemen."

***CCC***

An hour later, Ryan and Esposito sat across from Joe Pulgatti, who looked a little older and a little grayer than he had when Beckett and Castle had visited him three years before. "Tell us about the night that Bob Armen was killed," Ryan started the interview.

"Like I told Det. Beckett and her colleague a few years ago, Armen and I were in an alley when this white van pulled up and three masked men jumped out of it. When they tried to pull me into the van, Armen got into a fight with one of the men. While they were wrestling for the gun, it went off and Armen fell to the ground."

"When were you arrested for the murder?" Espo asked.

"Two days later. They didn't find any ballistic evidence, but witnesses saw me in the alley with Armen. That was enough to convict me. I pled guilty because they were going for the death penalty because Armen was a fed."

"How did you learn of Johanna Beckett?"

"I sent letters to every attorney that I could think of, begging them to take on my case. She was the only person who responded. I only met with her one time before she was murdered. I told all of this to Det. Beckett. Don't you people talk to each other?"

"We weren't aware that Det. Beckett came to visit you. Do you remember when that was?"

"It was early in 2011. I think it was after the murder of the detective who was lead on her mom's murder."

"Do you have any correspondence that Johanna Beckett might've sent you regarding taking on your case?"

"In my cell. I can arrange for it to be faxed to your precinct."

"That would be great, Mr. Pulgatti."

"I've got The Innocence Project working on my case now and they're confident that they can at least win me a new trial. I should know something in the next couple of months."

"Thank you for agreeing to talk to us, Mr. Pulgatti."

"I hope that Det. Beckett gets the justice that she's been searching for."

"So do we," Espo said as the detectives got up to leave.

***CCC***

"How did you know Michael Smith?" Capt. Gates asked Kate the next morning as she and Castle sat in her office.

Kate was bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. The night before had been filled with nightmares of being dunked in a vat of iced water over and over again. Her screams had awakened Castle three times during the very long night. "I only met him once. After he was tortured by Cole Maddox."

"What about you, Mr. Castle?"

"I only met him in person one time before he was tortured by Maddox, but I talked to him several times starting right after Kate was shot at Montgomery's funeral. He told me that if she didn't stop looking into her mother's murder, they were going to kill her. At that time, I didn't know who the mysterious 'they' was that Smith was talking about."

"What did he tell you about his connection to Bracken?"

"Just that we couldn't stop him. That he was too powerful, too well connected," Kate said. "He said that he owed a debt to Roy Montgomery, but he didn't owe anything to me. Did the FBI agent say whether Smith has proof that Bracken is dirty?"

"No, but at least he agreed to come in to talk to me. He should be here at any time," Gates glanced at her watch.

"Can we stay? I'd really like to hear what he has to say?" Kate inquired.

"That's up to him. We'll ask when he gets here," she said as her phone rang. "Gates! Show him in. He's here."

She got up and walked over to open her office door as LT approached with FBI Agent Will Sorensen with him. His eyes met Kate's before he looked at Castle. "Kate," Sorensen said slowly.

"Will," she said just as slowly.

"I see that you're still with the writer monkey," he said, referring to Castle, who simply glared at him.

"Agent Sorensen, were you able to convince Mr. Smith to join you?"

"No, I wasn't. However, I have his videotaped interview where he tells us about the possible evidence against Sen. Bracken."

Ryan and Esposito were sitting at their desks when Tori Ellis came running into the bullpen. "Ryan! Esposito! I found something that the two of you need to see!"

**A/N #2: Cliffhanger time! I had to do a cliffhanger, otherwise I was going to have a 10,000 word chapter. **

**A/N #3: How great was 'Veritas?' I was literally on my feet during the last segment. Six days until the wedding. I can't wait.**

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	15. Chapter 15--The Noose Tightens

**DISCLAIMERS: No, although one of my Twitter followers said I should be in the 'Castle' writing room. Thank you so much.**

**SUMMARY: The final pieces of the puzzle come together in the battle to get Bracken. Spoilers for 6x22. M-rated for Ruth, who requested a very specific Caskett moment. This is for you, Ruth.**

**A/N #1: I can't believe how many things I've always thought would happen actually happened in Monday night's episode, the main one being that I somehow suspected that there was a secret recording out there somewhere. I even put that in one of my previous stories.**

**A/N #2: This will be the last chapter of case fic before I switch gears to the wedding.**

Chapter 15: The Noose is Tightening

"First things first," Tori told Ryan and Esposito when they'd joined her at her computer. "The hard drive from Dial a Goddess didn't reveal any more than what we already knew. Jordan Norris is heard confessing everything to Laura Cambridge about Mayor Weldon's embezzlement. But there's nothing else about the mayor or anybody else, for that matter."

"So, what _did _you find?" Ryan asked.

"This was pieced together from the scraps of paper that Det. Beckett gave us," Tori handed each of them a copy of a letter that she'd pieced together.

Esposito's eyes grew large as he read. "We need to show this to Gates."

"Dude, Beckett's in there with Castle, and Sorensen."

"Bro, she has to be told. This blows everything wide opened."

Gates and company had moved to a conference room where Sorensen popped the DVD recording made by Michael Smith into a player and pressed 'Play.' Will's face immediately came into view as he set up the recording that they were about to watch.

'_My name is FBI Special Agent William Sorensen, Federal Identification Number 00-61783. Today is Friday, September 29, 2012, and the time is 16:28. I am here with U.S. Attorney Candice Robinson and Mr. Michael Smith. Whenever you're ready, Mr. Smith.'_

Smith's badly bruised and battered face was then presented to the camera lens.

'_My name is Michael Edward Smith, DoB 9/12/49. I am 63 years old and am retired as the Special Counsel to PPC LLC, a private litigation firm in Manhattan. I am here to make a statement regarding the illegal activities of United States Senator William H. Bracken. I learned of these activities when Lt. Roy Montgomery came to me in 1993. I had met then Lt. Montgomery in 1987 when he helped get my late son into a drug rehabilitation facility rather than prison. I owed him a debt and he came to me in 1993 telling me that he and two other New York Police Officers were being blackmailed by Assistant D.A. William Bracken after he learned of corruption on the parts of these officers, which resulted in the death of FBI Agent Robert Armen, who was working undercover with the New York mob when he was shot and killed in 1992.'_

Sorensen glanced over at Kate, noticing that she was holding tightly onto Castle's hand. That was when he saw the huge rock sparkling on her finger. He saw how Castle rubbed her hand, soothing her as they watched the DVD.

'_Montgomery and Officers John Raglan and Gary McCallister were blackmailed into silence by Bracken, who wanted a cut in their illegal activities, which consisted of kidnapping mobsters for ransom. This was how Bracken was able to finance his first congressional campaign. _

_In 1998, the man who was sent to prison for Agent Armen's murder, Joseph Pulgatti, sent out letters to various law firms to get someone to file an appeal on his conviction. Attorney Johanna Beckett and her colleagues at the Justice Initiative, agreed to take on his case. When word got back to Sen. Bracken that Armen's murder was being looked at, he hired a contract killer to murder Ms. Beckett and three of her colleagues. _

_On May 21, 2011, the day after Capt. Roy Montgomery's funeral, I received a package containing files on the Armen case, along with many other pieces of information. One of these pieces of information was a letter written by Roy Montgomery in which he states that there is a recording that details the blackmail plot as well as the plot to murder Ms. Beckett. _

_All of this evidence was destroyed when I was attacked on May 7, 2012 by the man who shot and seriously wounded Det. Katherine Beckett. I do not know where this recording is or if it truly exists. What I do know is if Bracken believes that I've talked, my life won't be worth jack shit. I have also warned Richard Castle that he needs to stop Det. Beckett on this search for the truth or Bracken will kill her.'_

"That's where the recording ends. We moved Smith into Wit-Sec shortly after that."

Kate was about to say something when a rather sharp rap on the door startled her. Gates got up and let in Ryan and Esposito, who seemed excited. "Sir, Beckett, Tori was able to recreate this," Ryan handed a sheet of paper to Kate.

"Did Mr. Smith say if he actually read the letter from Montgomery?" Kate looked up, her eyes huge in her face.

"He just said that there was a recording. He said he wasn't even sure that it existed. Kate, you saw the same DVD that the rest of us did," Sorensen said in a sharp tone.

"Hey," Castle cautioned him. "Kate, what is that?"

"'_I went into Bracken's office on October 18, 1998, this time armed with a voice activated tape recorder. I wanted evidence to cover my ass in case something happens," _Kate read from the sheet of paper in her hands. _"'He talks about getting revenge on a nosy attorney that's been snooping around, asking questions about Armen's murder. Apparently she's started the appeals process to get Pulgatti a new trial. Bracken is scared. He knows that if this happens, his house of cards is going to crumble.'"_

"If Montgomery made a recording, where's the tape?" Castle asked.

"Who knows? Maybe he destroyed it," Sorensen suggested.

"No, he didn't destroy it," Kate disagreed. "He put it somewhere or gave it to someone for safekeeping."

"Det. Beckett, do you have your mother's files and notes?" Gates asked.

"Yes, sir, I have them, but they're like reading Egyptian hieroglyphics. We've given them to the FBI, even the NSA and Military Intelligence, to see if they can decipher them, but it's been useless. My dad and I used to tease my mom about her code."

"Can you bring her files in? Maybe between all of us, we can figure it out," Gates suggested.

"Yes, sir. They're at my old apartment. Castle and I can go get them right now."

"Agent Sorensen, I thank you for your cooperation," Gates shook his hand. "Have a safe flight back to London."

"Thank you. Uh Kate, before you and Castle leave, can we have a second?"

Kate looked at Castle before looking back at Sorensen and nodding. "I'll walk you to the elevator. Give me a minute, Castle?"

"Sure. I want to talk to the boys, anyway."

Neither of them spoke until they got to the elevator. Sorensen hit the button and turned to face Kate. "So, you're going to marry the writer monkey," he broke the silence.

"Will, call him 'writer monkey' again and I'll break both your legs. 'Kay?" She smirked at him as the elevator doors opened.

"Okay," he smiled. "Seriously though, Kate, congratulations."

"Thank you."

Back in the conference room, Castle looked at his two friends. "I don't want the two of you to get your feelings hurt, but I've asked Alexis to be my best man. Aside from Kate, she's the most important person in my life. However, I don't feel comfortable asking my daughter to organize my bachelor party, so would the two of you do the honors?"

"Bro, we will throw you the bachelor party of all bachelor parties," Espo clasped his shoulder. "So, how's Beckett doing?"

"She had a rough night. Simmons' murder kind of threw her. I just feel like things might finally be coming together."

"Yeah, I hope so," Ryan nodded.

"Well, I'd better go see if Sorensen's tried to steal my girl away," Castle smiled.

"No way, bro. She's only had eyes for you for a long time now," Espo assured him.

Castle found Kate standing by the elevators, a faraway look in her eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Let's go get my mother's files. I'm okay. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I feel hopeful."

They entered Kate's apartment 20 minutes later. The first thing Castle did was look toward the shutters where Kate had her own murder board. He knew that she hadn't looked at that makeshift board in a very long time, but they both knew that it was there. "Do you think there really is a recording?" He turned toward Kate.

"I don't know. Maybe Tori can figure out my mother's notes. I'll go get her files."

Several hours and four pizzas later, the group around the table was exhausted. "I have to hand it to your mom, Kate," Tori teased. "She could develop secret code for the military and the enemy would never be able to figure it out."

"Hey Kate, this is the entry for the night that she was murdered," Castle showed Kate her mother's appointment book. "DMe w/family?"

"Yeah, she was supposed to meet us for dinner, remember?"

"I know, but look at how close the D and the M are. DM?"

"Detective Montgomery?" Kate said two words slowly. "He gave the recording to my mom?"

"I don't know. E could mean 'evidence.' W/ Family. Maybe she was on her way to bring the recording to you or your dad."

"Castle, if she had the recording on her the night that she died, Bracken would've found it. She didn't have any cassettes in her personal effects."

"Is it possible that she hid the recording somewhere in her office?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," she sighed tiredly, running her hands through her tangled mess of hair, sitting back in her chair and looking out into the nearly empty bullpen, her eyes landing on her desk and her elephants. The elephants that Castle loved to tease her about. The elephants that had once sat proudly on her mother's desk. "The elephants," she jumped out of her chair and ran into the bullpen.

"Kate!" The three men and Tori jumped up and ran out to Kate, who was shaking the family of elephants on her desk. "Kate, are you okay?"

"Castle, listen," she shook the elephants again. This time they all heard something rattle. "Before these elephants were on my desk, they were on hers. She used to joke about how they were like a family, just like us. Me, my mom, my dad. They were a family."

She turned the elephants over and saw where it had been repaired. Long ago, she'd just assumed that maybe they'd gotten broken somehow, but the repair was only to one area. She took a nail file and carefully worked along the seal where the statuette had been repaired. The previously broken piece finally came away from the rest of the figurine and a small microcassette tape fell out onto the bullpen floor.

"Beckett, I'm going to go and call Capt. Gates. She's gone to dinner with her husband, but she told me that she was only a phone call away. We can't listen to that tape until she gets here," Espo cautioned her.

Kate didn't say anything. She just bent down and retrieved the small tape, clutching it into her hand like it was a lifeline. The elephants had been sitting on her desk for three years since right after Dick Coonan's shooting. That had been when Kate had decided that it was time to honor her mother by displaying her elephants. It had always made her feel closer to her mom every time she sat at her desk and looked at them. She couldn't believe that all this time she'd had the possible evidence to nail Bracken right under her nose.

Esposito stepped away from the others and called Capt. Gates. "Sir, Beckett just found a microcassette recording. We think that it might be the recording that Capt. Montgomery was talking about in his letter."

"Where did she find the tape? I thought that all she had of her mother's stuff were her ledgers and notes."

"The tape was hidden in one of the figurines on Beckett's desk. The elephants had been her mother's."

"I don't want anybody listening to that tape until I get there. I'm going to put in a call to Candice Robinson right now."

Kate hadn't moved since Esposito went to make the phone call to Gates. "Did you reach her?" She asked.

"Yeah. She's going to call Hard Candy, so we probably have to wait for her, too. Are you okay?"

"I want all of you with me when I listen to this," she looked at her friends.

"Kate, do you think that's a good idea?" Ryan asked her. "If Bracken's ordering the hit on your mother on that tape, it might be hard to hear."

"You've been with me on this journey," she remained steadfast. "I know that there have been times when I've sounded crazy; when I've been millimeters from falling down that rabbit hole. But, you never gave up on me. None of you. Call Lanie and Perlmutter," she looked at Esposito.

An hour later, everybody had gathered in the conference room, even grumpy, taciturn Sidney Perlmutter, who liked the dead better than the living. But Kate had insisted that she wanted them there with her, _all _of them. Everybody else had taken seats except Kate. She stood stiffly by the wall as she watched Capt. Gates put the small rectangle of plastic into a tape player and closed the lid before pressing 'Play.'

At first the only sounds heard on the scratchy tape were footsteps. Finally a familiar voice filled the air. Kate felt her heart begin to pound as she heard the voice of the man who she was positive had ordered her mother's death.

"_Raglan, shut the door," Bracken's voice filled the room. "You three got a lot of balls coming here."_

"That's Sen. Bracken," Gates said as she looked at U.S. Attorney Candice Robinson, who nodded in agreement.

"_We just want to make sure we're all on the same page. You took us for a lot of money, Bracken. We want assurances," Roy Montgomery could now be heard speaking._

"And that's Capt. Montgomery," Kate whispered.

"_Hey, be happy I haven't busted the three of you for your little Mafia extortion ring," Bracken could be heard warning them. "Whoa, relax. You want assurances? Here you go. I assure you that as easily as I pinned Bob Armen's murder on Pulgatti, I can just as easily put it on the cops who actually did the deed."_

"He just blackmailed them," Gates' voice was filled with awe.

"Yes, he did," Castle said.

_Montgomery then spoke up. "Pulgatti knows he's been framed. What if somebody gets onto this?"_

"_Then I'll handle them."_

"_You? How?" Montgomery asked._

"_I know people, Roy. Dangerous people. Anyone gets too close like that bitch lawyer Johanna Beckett, who's been poking around; I'll have them killed. I've had people killed before."_

Kate found it hard to breathe as the tape came to an end. She knew that they had him. This tape was the evidence that they needed to bring Bracken and his reign of terror to an end.

"We need to make copies of this tape," she could hear Robinson's voice, but it sounded like it was coming from the end of a very long tunnel. "I need to take a copy to Washington D.C. for the Attorney General to see what he wants to do."

"What do you mean, to see what he wants to do?" Kate finally got her voice back. "You can clearly hear Bracken blackmailing three New York City cops! You can hear him admit that he's had people killed! He had my mother killed!"

"Det. Beckett, I understand how you feel. But, he's a United States Senator. It isn't like busting your everyday man on the street murderer. I have a chain of command to follow just like you do. I will fly to D.C. tonight. I promise that by tomorrow morning, you'll know where we're going with this."

"Let's go see if Ms. Ellis can make some copies," Gates stood up and removed the tape from the player before leaving the room with Robinson.

Ryan motioned to Espo, Lanie and Perlmutter to clear the room to give Castle and Kate a moment alone. He turned toward her after hearing the door close. No words needed to be said. He simply pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Castle could feel her fingers clutch into his shirt. He let his hands stroke up and down her back. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know. I don't want him getting off with a slap to the wrist, Castle. I've been afraid of that very thing for years."

"He's not going to get away with it, Kate. You worked for the AG, even if it was just for a little while. You said yourself that he's a fair, just man. But you have to let this go by the book."

"I know. Let's go join the others," she pulled back from him, reaching for his hand.

When they went back to the bullpen, they all stayed together until Lanie and Perlmutter eventually had to leave to get back to the morgue. "Call me later, girl," Lanie hugged Kate tightly. "Let me know what's going on. We'll get together for drinks later this week, okay?"

"Okay," Kate smiled.

"I hope that you finally got him, Detective," Perlmutter held his hand out to her.

"Thank you, Perlmutter," Kate shook his hand.

"Wow, for a second there, I almost liked Perlmutter. He was almost . . . human," Castle commented as Kate and the boys shared a chuckle.

"Det. Beckett, I am on my way to JFK right now to catch a flight to D.C. I have a call in to the AG, so hopefully I'll hear from him after I land. Either way, I will call you in the morning to let you know what the status is," Robinson told Kate.

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"I think he's going to go down. Go home and get some rest. One more thing, though. Please don't say anything to either of your families until we know something for sure."

"Okay."

Moments after the U.S. attorney left, Gates handed the original tape back to Kate. "You might want to put this in a safe deposit box for safekeeping. And Candy's advice to you is sound. Go home and get some sleep."

"Mother and Alexis are at The Four Seasons, so we have the loft to ourselves or do you want to go back to the Hamptons?" Castle turned to her.

"Let's go to the loft. I'm not up for a long car ride."

"Take her home, Mr. Castle."

"Yes, sir."

"Ryan, Esposito, you two call it a night also. You've both earned it." 

"Yes, sir," both men answered.

The four of them walked to the elevator and Ryan pushed the button to go downstairs. Both detectives saw how Beckett sagged into Castle when they got onto the elevator. "You okay, Chica?" Esposito asked.

"I'm good," she managed a tired smile. "If we're able to take him down, I want you two with me."

"You've got it," Ryan promised her.

"I'll shove him in the back of a cruiser myself," Espo added. "I won't even be careful of his head. I'll whack it on the doorframe just for the hell of it."

"Thanks, guys. I'll talk to both of you in the morning." After she watched them walk to their cars, she reached for Castle's hand as they walked the short distance to his car. He opened her door for her before walking around to the driver's side.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to go and get something to eat before we head for the loft?" Castle put the key in the ignition.

"Do you know what I really want to do?" She looked at him. "I want to get drunk. I mean, really wasted. Can we do that?"

"Let's go to The Old Haunt," he suggested as Kate nodded in agreement.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she reached across the seat for his hand, which he gladly took off of the steering wheel so that she could take it. "I'm just numb, Castle. I can't process anything."

Brian, the bartender, looked at the door when Castle walked in with Kate. "Hey Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett! Can I get you the usual?" He called out when they walked toward their usual booth underneath Castle's picture.

"Kate?" Castle nodded toward her. "What're you in the mood for?"

"Tequila."

Castle walked over to the bar and watched Brian pour two shots of tequila, putting them on a tray along with a salt shaker and a bowl of limes. "I'll take the bottle also, Brian," Castle told the young man as he put the bottle on the tray, as well. "Thanks."

Kate watched her fiancé making his way back to the table with the tray with their drinks. She had never felt so numb in her life, not even the night that her and her father had come home to find Det. Raglan there with news of her mother's death. She just wanted to feel something. She wanted to cry or scream or hit something. Castle sat down and poured a shot into each of their glasses before handing her the salt shaker, pushing the bowl of limes toward her.

"When I was in college, we used to play this drinking game. It was called 'I've Never.' Have you ever played?" Kate licked the web between her thumb and forefinger, liberally sprinkling it with salt.

"No, but I've heard of it. I've played drinking games that are similar. Do you want to start?" Castle couldn't help smiling at her. Even shell-shocked and incredibly sad as she obviously was, she wanted to play games. He knew that it was better than her past history of running and hiding.

"Get your shot ready, first," she instructed him as he licked his hand, sprinkling it with salt as she'd done seconds before. "Are you ready?" He nodded. "Okay. I've never had sex in a hot air balloon," she smirked at him, knowing he was going to have to take a shot.

He grinned before licking the salt from his hand, downing his shot, and grabbing a wedge of lime, popping it into his mouth and sucking the pulp from the rind before removing it from his mouth and discarding it in the bowl. "That was unfair because you already knew that. Meredith told you."

"So did you," she grinned back. "Your turn."

Castle tried to think of everything Kate had and hadn't told him about past sexual experiences. "I've never had sex in an airplane bathroom."

Kate blushed deep red, but she quickly took the shot, blowing out air as the alcohol burned down her throat. "You've seriously never had sex in an airplane bathroom?" Her cheeks continued to burn hot.

"Nope, I'm not a member of the Mile-High Club. Your turn."

Her eyes shined bright with unshed tears as she faced the incredible loving man sitting across from her. The man who had woven his way into her life like a drug, the man who had intruded into her personal life, investigating her mother's murder after she'd asked him not to. But she knew that if he hadn't invaded her privacy, they wouldn't be where they were now with the puzzle completed. "I've never been in love with anybody before you."

He blinked back tears as he threw back the shot, watching as she followed suit. He got up and moved into the booth beside her, instantly feeling her arms wrap tightly around his neck and hot tears wetting his neck. "Its okay, Kate. Let it go. You got him, baby. I'm so fucking proud of you. You're the strongest, most extraordinary woman I've ever known and I'm so lucky to be a part of your life."

Pulling away with tears still trickling down her face, she cupped his jaw, stroking his cheek softly, reverently, before drawing him down so that she could cover his lips with hers, her tongue licking his bottom lip as he opened his mouth so that her tongue could probe his, her kiss hungry and full of need. She could taste tequila and lime as they continued kissing.

"Castle, take me home and fuck me," she whispered against his mouth. "Hard."

When they walked into the loft a short time later, Castle unlocked the door and led them in, closing and then re-locking the door when he suddenly found himself with 120 pounds of Kate Beckett in his arms, her long legs entwined around his waist, her mouth latched onto his. "Fuck, Kate," he growled into her mouth as he pinned her against the wall, reminiscent of their first night together. His lips latched onto her neck, sucking and biting, feeling her buck and writhe against him.

He moved his fingers down to the button on her jeans, unbuttoning them and sliding the zipper down before reaching into her panties, shocked at how wet she already was. She let out a keening whine at the feel of his fingers swirling through her wet folds. "I want you, Castle," she sank her teeth into his earlobe. "I need you."

He turned from the wall and made his way through the quiet loft, with Kate still hanging onto him. He quickly walked through his office and into their bedroom where he tossed Kate onto the bed, yanking at his clothes as she scooted into the middle of the bed, giving him a come hither look. She bit her lip as the sight of his obvious arousal came into view. He then began removing her clothes before sliding up her body and entering her with a thrust that caused Kate to emit a loud moan.

Castle moved into her at breakneck speed as their gasps and groans filled the room. His lips moved down to her neck, sucking at her pulse point. He felt Kate's muscles clasp around him, milking his orgasm from him. They both exploded with loud cries of ecstasy. He nuzzled her neck as he felt her nails lightly scratching his back.

"I love you, Rick," she kissed his bare shoulder. "I really, really needed that."

He rolled onto his back, drawing Kate against his shoulder, kissing her hair and every inch of bare flesh that he could reach with his lips. "Let's get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get to watch the AG slap handcuffs on Bracken."

It was the ringing of her cell phone that awoke Kate just a few short hours later. She was disoriented, trying to remember where her phone was. The sound seemed to be coming from the floor, so she got out of bed and rooted through the discarded clothes from their frantic night of sex. She finally located her phone and hit the 'talk' button. "Beckett," her voice was still gravelly from sleep.

"Det. Beckett, this is Candice Robinson. It's a go on Bracken."

"Are you sure?" Kate sat on the edge of the bed as Castle awoke and rolled over toward her.

"The AG listened to the tape. He's swearing out an arrest warrant as we speak. Detective . . . Kate, I know that this has been a long journey for you and your family. I think it's only right that you should be the one to take him into custody. Can you be at JFK at seven this morning?"

"We'll be there," Kate said as she ended the call. "Get up, Castle. I have to call the boys. We have a flight to catch."

***CCC***

Kate had been quiet during the short flight from New York to D.C. She was still quiet when they got into the Town Car that the AG had sent and made the short ride to the congressional office of Senator William Bracken. The Town Car stopped at the curb and they all piled out. Castle noticed that a squad car was already waiting at the curb. As they started walking toward the office building, she noticed that Castle had stayed back. "Are you coming, Castle?"

"No, I'm going to wait out here. This is your moment. You've got this. Go get him," he squeezed her hand and gave her a smile.

They flashed their badges at the security guard sitting at the front desk before walking up the stairs to Bracken's office. The senator looked to be in the middle of a press conference when the contingent of New York City police officers, the AG and the U.S. attorney crowded in. "Stop recording," Bracken ordered.

"Senator, what's going on?" One of the reporters asked.

Bracken's eyes widened with fear when Kate approached him. "You shouldn't be here,  
Detective," he warned.

"We found the tape," Kate looked him in the eye. "It's over. William Bracken, you're under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and for the murder of my mother, Johanna Beckett. Turn around!"

Kate slapped handcuffs on Bracken's wrists before leading him out of the crowded office and out of the building as bystanders stared in disbelief. She walked him out of the building and down the stairs into the early morning sunlight. "I'll take him from here," Espo told her as they stepped up to the squad car. "I've looked forward to this for a long time, Senator," the Latino detective opened the back door of the car and shoved the older man into the back seat.

Castle had been smiling proudly as he watched his incredibly brave fiancée taking the man who had made her life hell for 15 years to a police car. He continued smiling when she walked up to him. "She'd be proud of you," he told her. "Wherever she is right now, I know that she's looking down and she's very proud."

"I couldn't have done this without you," she walked into his arms, snuggling into his neck, relishing the feel of his arms coming around here and holding her tightly.

They got back into the Town Car and followed the squad car to the police station where Bracken was read his rights, fingerprinted, and booked. He was then led to an interrogation room where the Attorney General along with Candice Robinson was waiting. Kate, Castle, and the boys watched from the observation room. Castle kept casting glances at Kate as she listened to Bracken when he heard the ghosts from the past on the cassette recording. "Are you going to fight extradition back to New York?" The AG asked the senator.

"No," Bracken replied calmly.

Castle saw Kate let out a huge sigh of relief as she visibly seemed to sag. Moments later, Ms. Robinson walked into the observation room. "Bracken's waiving extradition, Detective. He'll be flown back to New York sometime today."

"What about Elena Markov?"

"I'll arrange for word to get out on the local TV stations and see if she'll willingly turn herself in. We'll offer her a deal in exchange for testifying against Bracken. I'll also arrange for Joe Pulgatti to be released from prison and have his record expunged."

"My mother would like that," Kate's said in a shaky voice.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Right now, I don't really feel anything. I haven't been able to process it."

"The AG has arranged for his plane to fly the four of you back to New York whenever you're ready. Did you have anything that you wanted to say to Bracken before we take him to holding?"

"No. If I'm left alone in a room with him right now, I can't be responsible for what I might do to him. I need to go home and talk to my dad."

On the flight back to New York, Kate sat with her head on Castle's shoulder, his hand tightly clutched in hers. Ryan and Esposito sat in the seats across from them, watching their friend. Espo's eyes met Castle's as he motioned his head toward Kate. Castle gave a short shake of his head, letting him know that he had things under control.

"I'm okay, Javi," she finally said. "I mean, I don't know if I'm really okay. I just don't feel anything. I thought that when I finally got him, I'd want to shout it from the highest rooftops."

"It's the shock," Ryan said as Kate focused her eyes on him. "It might take a few days for the shock of taking him down to sink in."

"I thought that he was going to shit his pants when you walked into that room," Espo pointed out as Kate actually smiled for the first time. "You missed it, Castle. Big bad-ass Senator Bracken scared of Chica here."

"He was right to be scared," Kate continued smiling. "Slapping those cuffs on him was the best feeling ever. I can relive that again and again."

"I think you showed him who the real bad-ass was, huh?" Castle tilted her head up and kissed her as the other two detectives groaned and told them to 'get a room.'

"Grow up, you guys," Kate told them as the pilot announced that they were landing at JFK.

Castle had arranged for a car to pick them up and after dropping off the boys, Kate called her dad to let him know that she and Castle were on their way to the house. Castle also called his mother to let her know that it was safe for her and Alexis to return to the loft.

Jim Beckett had a concerned look on his face when he opened his front door to let Kate and Castle in. "Hi, Katie," he hugged his daughter tightly. "Katie, one of my friends just called me and said that he'd heard something about the arrest of Sen. William Bracken. He said he's been charged with killing your mom. Is that true?"

"I wanted to tell you myself. I didn't want you to hear it from anybody else. We found a recording, dad. It was hidden in mom's elephants. The ones that you gave me after she died. They've been sitting on my desk for more than three years, but I never knew that the clue to her murder was right under my nose. We flew to D.C. this morning and I got to personally put the handcuffs on him."

"So, it's over?" He asked with tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, it's over. We got justice for her, dad," she burst into tears as Jim took her into his arms and held her as tightly as he could.

**A/N #3: I would think that Kate would feel somewhat numb after taking Bracken down. **

**A/N #4: We have a wedding to go to Monday night! I can't wait! **

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	16. Chapter 16--Recovery and a Dress

**DISCLAIMERS: No, I don't own 'Castle.' If I did, believe me, what happened in the finale would NOT have happened that way.**

**SUMMARY: Castle and Kate pick out their rings while Kate suffers a setback. Contains spoilers for 6x23.**

**A/N #1: How messed up was the finale? Personally, I thought the entire episode sucked. I would've much rather have had a murder for them to solve. Not one of Milmar's better efforts. The only good thing was at least there was no argument this season.**

**A/N #2: I'm writing a different take on what happened to Kate's wedding dress, because I so wanted her to get married in her mother's wedding dress. I'm also including Rick's speech to her about great love stories. I thought that was the most profound thing Nathan Fillion said all season.**

Chapter 16: Recovery and a Dress Catastrophe

Three weeks after the arrest of William Bracken, Kate was still struggling with this new chapter of her life. A chapter where her mother's unsolved murder was no longer hanging over her head. She alternated between feeling nothing but extreme numbness and huddling in the bathroom crying.

Castle was in Seattle on one last book tour before the wedding, which was three weeks away. He missed Kate and talked to her on the phone every day as well as texting her several times a day. By talking to her, he knew when she was struggling and when she was having a good day.

It was after 11 New York time; which made it after 8 in Seattle. "When I get home in a couple of days, we'll go to Tiffany's to pick out our rings," Castle's smiling face came across on Kate's phone.

"Oh, that sounds nice," she smiled back. "I miss you."

"Oh, I miss you, too. How was today?"

"Okay," she suddenly sounded sullen. "Or it was until there was something on the news about his arrest. Do you want me to pick you up at the airport?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not due in until late. I'll call the car service. How are the plans going for your bridal shower?" He smiled at her.

"I'm not sure. I see Martha and Alexis on their cell phones whispering a lot, so I guess they're conspiring with Lanie to embarrass the hell out of me."

"It's all done out of love. Think of it this way," he told her. "You can pay Lanie and Alexis back when they get married. It's late there. You should get some sleep. I'll see you the day after tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll see you in a couple of days."

After hanging up, Kate clutched her cell phone to her chest, thinking of Castle so far away on the other side of the country. She never would've imagined that it would be possible to miss somebody so much. She pulled his pillow to her chest, inhaling the scent of him as she tried to go to sleep. But, as was the norm, sleep was slow to come.

***CCC***

The sound of voices from downstairs woke Alexis up out of a sound sleep. She picked up her phone and glanced at the time. It was just after two in the morning. She got out of bed and slipped into her robe before walking downstairs where she found Kate curled up at the end of the sofa, watching TV. "Kate? Are you okay?"

"Alexis," Kate sat up. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"What're you watching?" Alexis sat on the couch beside her father's fiancée. She smiled at the images on the screen. "I love 'The Princess Bride.' I used to watch it with dad when I was little."

"It was my mom's favorite movie. When I watch it, I can imagine that she's still with me."

"Kate, do you want me to call my dad? It's only a little after 11 on the West Coast," Alexis offered.

"I don't want to worry him."

"I don't know what to say," the young redhead stammered. "I don't know how to make you feel better."

"Alexis, you don't have to say anything to make me feel better. Doing what you're doing right now, just sitting here, helps a lot. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel," she sat up, clutching her blanket to her. "My mom's murder defined who I was for so long that it's hard to understand what I'm supposed to be now. Does that make sense?"

"I think so. It was like a cloud hanging over your head and now that cloud isn't there, anymore. Maybe you can just focus on the wedding."

"That's what I've been trying to do. I think it makes it bad when CNN and Fox News won't leave it alone. Every time I turn on the news, his face is on there and they're talking about him. Or replaying his arrest over and over."

"Then you know what we need to do?" Alexis was decisive. "We have to declare a no-media zone in this apartment. We won't talk about it; we won't watch it on TV. All talk will be of the wedding or your honeymoon."

"I like that," Kate smiled brightly.

"Now, let's watch 'The Princess Bride,'" Alexis turned toward the TV and turned the volume up slightly.

***CCC***

Two days later, Castle walked out of JFK with his suitcase in hand and slid into the backseat of the Town Car he'd hired to pick him up. He rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes wearily. It had been a long 10 days, but he was home now and not scheduled to go anywhere until after he and Kate returned from their honeymoon.

He smiled when he thought of his fiancée. He couldn't wait to see her again. He looked forward to holding her, kissing her, loving her. He looked forward to going to sleep with her wrapped around him, her hand lightly resting on his chest, her hair fanned all around her.

The driver pulled up at the curb in front of the loft and got out to open Castle's door for him. "Good evening, Mr. Castle," Eduardo tipped his hat as Castle walked past him into the lobby.

"Good evening, Eduardo," Castle answered.

When he walked into the loft, his heart leapt into his throat when he saw Kate curled up at the end of the sofa, one arm dangling off of the couch and she was sound asleep.

He left his suitcase by the door and walked over to the couch. "Kate," he put his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her.

Kate sleepily opened her eyes and looked up, her face breaking into a huge, wide smile. "Hey, babe," she sat up and looped her arms around his neck, tugging him down onto the sofa with her. "I'm glad that you're home. I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," he pulled back so that he could kiss her, his tongue seeking entrance as they drank each other in. "Did you have a good day today?"

"The last two days have been better. Alexis and I talked the other night. We decided to declare our home a media-free zone until the fuss over Bracken dies down. Since I haven't been hit in the face with it every time I turn on the TV, I've been a little better."

"That's good. I knew that I raised a smart kid."

"Yes, you did. Plus, I discovered that she's a fan of 'The Princess Bride.'"

"Oh, we watched it all of the time when she was a kid. I used to call her my little Princess Buttercup," he remembered fondly.

"Take me to bed, Castle."

Kate awoke sometime early the next morning to the feel of soft lips caressing her bare back. She sighed at the sensation as she tried not to move. Finally, unable to resist moving into his arms, she rolled over into Castle's arms, his lips descending on hers in a delicious good morning kiss. She found herself smiling against his mouth. "Seattle was so lonely without you. I'm not going on another book tour unless I can take you with me," he whispered against her lips.

"I missed you, too," she wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his chest. "I have to get up and go to work. Come with me."

"Take the day off. Let's go find our rings," he suggested. "Come on, I just got home. You know that you want to stay home with me. Be bad for once, Beckett. Play hooky."

"I'll tell you what," she bit her lip, cupping his jaw. "I'll go in until noon and then I'm all yours. I have so much paperwork to do, Castle. I need to go in for a few hours."

"Okay, noon," he pouted as she grinned at him. "I have some calls to make, anyway. But, I'm picking you up at 12 sharp, so you'd better be ready."

"I'll be ready," she grinned as his hands swept over her naked body.

"I think you already are," he rolled them as he began kissing his way down her bare flesh, listening to her soft moans.

***CCC***

"Perfect, Grace," Lanie Parish was on her cell phone while looking at images on her laptop. "I'll pick it up at five o'clock on the second. Thank you for all of your help," she hung up and turned, surprised to find Capt. Gates standing behind her.

"Am I interrupting something?" Capt. Gates looked at Lanie's computer screen with a raised eyebrow.

Lanie quickly closed her laptop lid, obscuring the image of the huge penis that had been on the screen. "It's not what you think. I was ordering the cake for Beckett's bridal shower and not looking at porn."

"I'm not passing judgment, Dr. Parish. But I'm actually here to ask you about the shower. I'm torn between getting Det. Beckett something that she can use to lavish on herself or something that she can use to drive Mr. Castle out of his mind. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, there's nothing that says that you can't combine the two."

"This is true. Do you need for me to bring anything to the shower?"

"No, but thank you. I've got everything under control thanks to Castle's mom and daughter. I'm so glad that you're going to attend."

"I'm honored that you asked me."

"I've known Kate for a long time," Lanie told the older woman. "I knew her back when her mother's murder used to consume her. I'm so happy that she no longer has that specter hanging over her."

"She's lucky to have you as a friend. I'm looking forward to the shower and possibly embarrassing the hell out of Det. Beckett," Gates smiled as Lanie began laughing.

"Oh, just wait until you see what I'm going to make her wear," Lanie continued laughing.

***CCC***

Kate was on her computer looking up information for one of her reports when her cell phone rang. She looked at her phone and saw that it was the number of the bridal boutique. She wasn't due for her final fitting until a few days before the wedding so she frowned as she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Ms. Beckett, this is Isabelle from Starr's Boutique. Ms. Beckett, I don't know how to tell you this . . . I'm so, so sorry," the young woman sounded like she was about to burst into tears.

"Isabelle, calm down. What's wrong?" Kate's heart started to pound. Had something happened to her dress?

"This morning . . . we had an electrical short. There was a fire."

"Oh no," Kate's eyes filled with tears. "Is it bad?"

"The inventory that wasn't ruined by fire and smoke were ruined by water damage from the fire hoses. Ms. Beckett, I'm so sorry," she said again. "We're refunding the money for all of the ruined dresses."

"This isn't about the money!" Kate shouted as the boys jerked their heads up in surprise. "I'm getting married in less than three weeks!"

"I know and again, I'm so sorry," the young woman was now sobbing. "If you'd like, we can voucher the money that you spent on your dress on a dress from another boutique."

"Everything's ruined," Kate ended the call and got out of her chair, fleeing from the bullpen in tears.

Moments later, Castle rounded the corner from the elevator into the bullpen, carrying two cardboard cups of coffee. "Hey, have you guys seen Kate?" He asked, putting one of the coffees on her desk.

"Yeah, she was here, but she ran off crying," Ryan told him.

"Crying? Why was she crying? Where did she go?"

"She headed for the fire stairs," Espo pointed as Castle ran in that direction.

Castle opened the door for the fire exit and found Kate sitting on one of the cement steps, her head on her knees, sobbing as if the world was ending. "Kate?" He sat down beside her. "What's wrong? Is it your dad?"

"It's my dress! There was a fire at the boutique! It's gone, Castle! My wedding dress is gone!"

"What about the dress that Matilda King gave you?"

"After I bought the new dress, I returned it to her. I explained to her why I couldn't wear it. She was actually very sweet about it," Kate began crying anew as Castle stared at her in shock.

"It's only a dress. It's not the end of the world," he tried saying to her.

"Then why does it feel like it is? Our wedding was supposed to be magical. It was supposed to be our perfect day and now it's just . . . falling apart," her voice was cracked and raw with emotion.

"Then we'll put it back together," he tried to act as the voice of reason.

"Castle, I mean, it just feels like all of this is one big sign," she put her head back on her knees.

"Well, maybe it is a sign," he reached for her hand. "A sign that ours is a great love story. What's a great love story without obstacles to overcome? Every fairy tale has them. Terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend. But, you can't give up. That's the deal. We want the happy ending. We can't give up."

"And that's why I want to marry you," she gave him a small smile before leaning her head against his shoulder.

"We'll figure it out. But right now, let's go find our perfect rings."

"Okay," she gave him a soft smile as he wiped the tears from her face.

While Kate finished up her reports and let out an occasional hiccup or sniffle, Castle fired off an email to Lanie. **'Hey, maid of honor, we have a wedding dress disaster. Can you call my mother or Kate's dad to see if they have any suggestions?'**

'**What happened to my girls' dress, Writer Boy?'**

'**There was a fire at the boutique. It goes without saying that Kate is extremely upset.'**

'**I'll see what I can do.'**

Kate finished her reports before getting up and going to Gates' office, lightly knocking on the door. "Sir, I'm going to take half a day. Castle and I have some wedding stuff to do."

"Are you all right, Detective?" Gates couldn't help noticing Kate's red and swollen eyes.

"Just a small disaster."

"You'll get a few of those on your way to the altar. Have fun with Mr. Castle," she waved Kate off and returned to her own work.

Kate walked back to her computer and logged out before grabbing her coffee and Castle's hand. "I'm leaving for the day, boys. If you get a body drop, you're on your own," she told her two colleagues.

"Bro, I hope that she's okay," Esposito nodded toward Castle and Beckett's backs, watching as they walked away.

"When she was planning our wedding, Jenny would cry 50 times a day. If the least little thing went wrong, she'd start crying. I felt like I was walking through an estrogen minefield. That only thing more emotional than a woman planning a wedding is a pregnant woman."

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, Kate sagged into Castle's shoulder and began to cry again. Knowing that she was inconsolable, he simply wrapped his arms around her and just held her. He led her out of the precinct and away from curious eyes, to the underground garage where his car was parked. "I'm sorry," she finally pulled back and wiped at her eyes before he handed her his handkerchief. "I know that it's just a dress—"

"Kate, no. Believe me, I get it or at least I'd like to think that I do. But I also know that we can fix this. I love you and we're going to get through this."

"Let's go look at rings," she stepped up to kiss him.

A short time later, they walked arm in arm through the doors of Tiffany's. Castle smiled when one of the sales clerks approached them. "Mr. Castle, it's good to see you again," the sales clerk shook Rick's hand before smiling at Kate. "You must be Kate. Mr. Castle told me all about you when he picked out your engagement ring. I take it that you're here to look at wedding sets."

"Yes, we are," Castle smiled brightly. "Kate, this is Jean-Robert. He was very knowledgeable when I came to pick out your engagement ring. J.R., we'd like to look at the platinum sets."

"Very good choice. So, when is the big day?" He asked as he led them over to the display case showcasing the platinum wedding sets.

"May 12," Castle answered as J.R. unlocked the display case and took out a tray of rings, walking over to a table and chairs where they could sit to try on the rings.

For the next hour and a half, they tried on various rings of different styles, some plain and some with diamonds. Kate smiled as she slipped a wide platinum band on Castle's left ring finger. "I can't wait until I can do this for real," she rubbed his fingertips.

"Me, either," he lifted her hand, kissing her fingertips. "So, what do you think?"

"I like this set," she pointed to a set encrusted with diamond chips.

"J.R., we like this set," Castle waved the sales clerk over.

"I'll get the paperwork started," J.R. hurried off.

"I'll be right back," Castle kissed Kate on the forehead before getting up and walking over to where J.R. was typing in the bill of sale on his computer screen. "Hey, J.R.? On the rings, can you have them engraved with our initials, the date, and the word 'Always?'" He whispered, casting an occasional glance over at Kate.

"Certainly," J.R. smiled, printing out the receipt and giving it to Castle to sign.

After signing the receipt and settling the bill, Castle walked over and took Kate's hand before walking with her out of Tiffany's and into the late April sunshine. "Two and a half weeks," he grinned down at her.

"We're getting married!" She looped her arms around his neck, giggling happily as people just walked by them. "We have rings!"

Castle couldn't help laughing as he held Kate off of the ground. She didn't giggle often, but when she did, it was like music to his heart. He loved hearing her so joyful and happy. He loved that he was the cause of that joy and happiness. That was why he knew that he had to play the hero and fix the debacle of the ruined wedding dress.

When they walked into the loft half an hour later, Kate was surprised, but pleased to find her dad there visiting with Martha. "Hi, dad," she walked over and hugged him. "This is a nice surprise."

"Katherine, Lanie called and told me about the dress," Martha said as Kate's eyes once again welled up with tears. "And then your dad showed up and . . . well, I'll let him tell you the rest."

"Kate, I know that you're upset," Jim's heart broke at the look of grief on the face of his daughter. "And what kind of a father would I be if I didn't ride to the rescue. Follow me," he beckoned to her as he started for the stairs.

"Dad?" Kate looked at Martha, who motioned for her to just go with the program.

Kate followed her father upstairs to the guest bedroom, which she hadn't been in since her apartment had blown up so long ago. "Close the door, Katie. Please?"

Kate closed the door and watched as her father walked over to the closet and removed a large red garment bag. Kate's breath began to hitch in her chest when she realized what was in the bag. Before arresting Bracken the idea of wearing her mother's wedding dress caused her unbearable pain. It was simply unthinkable to even consider it. "Mom showed me this dress once when I was little. She told me if I touched it and got something on it, she'd ground me for life," Kate smiled at the memory.

"Of course you know that this was your mother's wedding dress. But now it's your wedding dress and someday I hope that it'll be your daughter's wedding dress. I'm sorry that your other dress was ruined, but I'm so happy to be walking you down in the aisle in this one."

"Thank you for riding in and saving the day," Kate hugged her father, feeling him hug her back just as hard.

"Hey, like I said, that's what daddy's are supposed to do. I know that you value your independence and being able to take care of yourself, but it's nice to feel needed once in a while."

"I have to hide this so that Castle doesn't see it. I'll ask Alexis to hide it in her closet," she picked up the garment bag and left the room, going next door to Alexis' bedroom, where she knocked on the door. "Alexis? Can I come in?"

"Hold on a second!" Alexis called out, picking up the photographs and the album that was scattered around her on the bed, quickly hiding them in her nightstand drawer. "Come on in!"

Kate opened the door and smiled at the young redhead who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed. "What're you doing?"

"A project for school," Alexis lied. "What's going on?"

"I need for you to hide this in your closet. It's my wedding dress and I don't want your dad to snoop around looking for it."

"I thought you weren't getting your dress fitted until next week," Alexis furrowed her brow.

"Oh, your grandmother didn't tell you. There was a fire at the boutique. I lost my dress," Kate's voice still cracked with emotion at the memory of that phone call from Isabelle. "But, my dad brought my mom's wedding dress to me. I still have to get it fitted, but I first need to hide it."

"Sure, we can hide it in the back of my closet," Alexis opened the door to her huge walk-in closet and led Kate to the back of it where they hung the garment bag behind some formal dresses.

Downstairs, Castle was sitting on the couch with Martha. "When I got to the precinct to pick Kate up to take her ring shopping, I found her on the fire stairs crying like the world was coming to an end. I tried to tell her that it was just a dress."

"Oh Richard," Martha sighed, shaking her head. "You are such a man sometimes. A woman's wedding dress is more than 'just a dress.' A girls' wedding is the day that she starts dreaming about when she's just a little girl. It's the one time in our lives when we want every detail to be perfect. That's why we stress so much about all of the details, but especially about the dress. We want that dress that makes us feel like a princess. It's truly our Princess Diana moment where we're getting our very own Prince Charming. It's so much more than 'just a dress.'"

"Thank you for explaining that to me," Castle smiled at his mother.

After Kate hid the dress and left her bedroom, Alexis leaned against the door, letting out a huge sigh of relief. She then went back and removed the pictures and photo album from her nightstand drawer. She sorted through the pictures that had been given to her by her grandmother and Kate's dad. She hoped that Kate loved her gift. It was the story of her romance with her dad.

***CCC***

"_Kate Beckett?" The voice on the phone was unfamiliar, but something about the tone caused Kate's heart to pound loudly in her chest._

"_This is she."_

"_This is the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. We found your number in the wallet of Richard Castle as the person to notify in case of an emergency. There's been an accident."_

_Kate jumped into the Rolls Royce that Castle had hired to take them to the airport for their honeymoon. She saw the flashing blue and red lights. "Stop the car!" She shouted, barely waiting for the car to stop before jumping out of it. _

_She grabbed her dress off of the ground and ran to the edge of the embankment where she saw the silver-blue car engulfed in flames. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even think. "No! It's not supposed to end like this! You promised me a happy ending, Rick! You promised me! What kind of a fucked up fairy tale is this?"_

"You promised," Kate was tossing and turning, hitting at the air in her sleep. "You promised."

Castle woke up when he heard Kate talking in her sleep. "Kate," he said her name quietly in the dark of the bedroom. "Kate, it's okay. Wake up. It's just a dream."

It took several more minutes for her to wake up, but she began to sob when she opened her eyes, looking into his concerned blue eyes. He was shocked when she reached for him, clinging to him like she was never going to let him go. "Oh god, Rick!" She sobbed against his shoulder. "It was awful. We were waiting to get married and I got a phone call. Your car was on fire. You promised that we were going to have a happy ending."

"Shh," he rocked her. "We're going to have our happy ending. We're getting married in less than two weeks. We have rings, remember? You have your mom's wedding dress. It's going to be perfect."

Kate just held onto Rick, listening to his words trying to soothe her. Her dream had filled her with terror. Right now she refused to believe that she'd have her happy ending until she heard the minister seal the deal.

**A/N #3: I'm sure that Andrew Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller are asking themselves what in the hell they were thinking when it came to that finale. Like someone stated on Twitter, he was expecting anger, and he got fury. He has serious damage control to do between now and Sept. 23. **

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

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	17. Chapter 17--Bridal Showers & 50 Shades

**DISCLAIMERS: Oh, if I owned 'Castle,' they would've gotten married at the end of 'For Better or Worse.' **

**SUMMARY: Kate finds herself in an interesting predicament after her bridal shower. Rated M for pure, unadulterated Caskett smut.**

**A/N #1: Originally this was part of Chapter 16, but it just got way too long, so I had to split it up.**

**A/N #2: I'm going to try my hand at writing about rather adventurous sex. I'll try not to go too '50 Shades of Grey' on my readers. After all, I'm a rather vanilla kind of gal.**

Chapter 17: Bridal Showers & 50 Shades

It was a great party. Normally Kate hated being fussed over, but how often did a girl get married for the first time? The wine and the laughter were both flowing freely. "So, where are you and Mr. Castle going for your honeymoon?" Capt. Gates asked.

"Well, since we were unable to go to Bora-Bora due to Castle's skiing accident last year, we're going to go there."

"Wow, the South Pacific. I'm impressed," Maddie Queller took a sip of her wine.

"My dad's going to flip when he sees the bikini's Kate has bought for the trip. They're so skimpy, they're almost non-existent," Alexis added.

"Thanks to Alexis," Kate looked at the young woman.

"Well, I heard about the shop from a friend at school. I'd never have the nerve to wear something that . . . small," Alexis made a face as the other women laughed.

"Yes, you will," Lanie told her. "When you meet that special certain someone that you want to wear something like that for."

"Dr. Parish, isn't it time for gifts?" Jordan Shaw asked.

"Yes, it is," Lanie got up and walked back over with a pile of gifts for Kate to open.

Kate was wowed by the gifts she received from her friends. Some were more risqué than others. She got lovely lingerie, and more than a few sexually explicit items, courtesy of Lanie and Maddie. "Maddie what am I supposed to do with a dozen pregnancy tests?" Kate held the gift up as the room erupted into laughter.

"Well, I know how you want to make those little Castle babies," Maddie pointed out.

"I'm going to have to hide these or Castle's going to think I'm peeing on a stick every time I go to the bathroom."

"This is from Alexis," Lanie handed her a large gift-wrapped box.

Alexis bit her lip watching as Kate unwrapped her gift. She didn't want to go the sexually explicit route, so she elected to make something that represented both her dad and Kate. "Oh Alexis, this is . . . this is so great!" Kate pulled out the photo album that had a picture of her and Rick in a photo frame on the cover. She recognized the picture as being one taken after they'd announced their engagement to the press.

"Your dad gave me some pictures of you. I hope that you don't mind."

Kate opened up the front page and grinned upon seeing baby pictures of Castle. Alexis had written a wonderful story to go with the pictures. "As you can see, Richard was even ruggedly handsome as a baby," Martha smiled as the women laughed.

"Alexis, what a wonderful, thoughtful gift. Thank you," Kate hugged Alexis tightly.

Martha and Jordan had given Kate gift cards so that she could enjoy spa days at one of New York City's most exclusive spas. "Believe me, you'll need that after all of this wedding craziness is over," Martha informed her.

"You might even need it before," Jordan threw in.

After opening all of the gifts, everybody spent time admiring them until Lanie got up and went to the kitchen, returning moments later with the cake. "Kate, I would've gotten this made to scale, but damn, girl, you never kiss and tell."

"Seriously, Lanie?" Kate groaned when she saw that the cake was in the shape of a large penis. "Actually, Rick is bigger," she said before she snorted with laughter.

"Why did I know she was going to say that?" Jordan groaned as she looked at the bride-to-be who was almost doubled over with laughter.

"I'm sorry, Alexis," Kate apologized.

"It's okay. I'll just need Dr. Burke's number so that I can erase that image from my head."

Martha had already arranged with Kate for her and Alexis to stay at Kate's old apartment after the shower ended so that she could have alone time with Rick and not have to worry about how loud things got.

Shortly after 11, Kate was sitting at Lanie's dining room table with Jordan and Maddie. "I understand that you had a dress disaster," Jordan said as she drank the last of her wine.

"Yeah, the boutique caught fire. Did you have nightmares about your wedding?"

"No, my nightmares happened while I was wide awake. Two days before the wedding, my caterer canceled, and the morning of the wedding, the drummer in the band we'd hired fell and broke his leg in two places."

"And you got married anyway?" Kate asked in disbelief.

"My mother is the most superstitious Irish woman that you can imagine. She told me that if two people are in love, nothing can come between them. My aunts and cousins managed to throw together a feast at the last minute and my future brother-in-law knew a guy who knew a guy who could play the drums. It all worked out and we've been happy ever since. Why? Are you having bad dreams?"

"The same one over and over. Castle's car goes over an embankment and I'm yelling at him about how he promised me a happily ever after."

"It's just nerves, Kate. Just think," Jordan forced her to look at her, "you found a way to put your mother's killer behind bars. Nothing can go wrong now."

"Actually, Bracken isn't behind bars," Kate told the three women sitting at the table. "He's a sitting United States Senator. He can't be arrested until his term is up or the Senate votes him out. The A.G. has informed me that the Senate isn't going to vote him out, so he keeps his Senate seat until 2016."

"Even with charges hanging over his head?" Lanie asked, stunned by the news.

"Yeah," Kate sighed. "However, he is being closely monitored and I've been told that he won't be able to get close to me or anybody else that I care about."

"That sucks," Maddie said as the other women nodded in agreement.

"I knew from studying constitutional law at Stanford what was going to happen. It was harder to explain it to Rick."

"How did he take it?" Lanie asked.

"He was angry. But," she smiled, "he was more worried about how it was going to affect me."

***CCC***

Castle was writing in his office shortly after one in the morning when he heard the door open. "Kate?" He called out, closing the lid on the laptop and walking out into the living room, smiling at the sight of his fiancée walking through the room with several large bags full of gifts. "You should've texted me. I would've come downstairs and helped you."

"Hi," she dropped the bags by the couch and walked into his arms, kissing him longingly. "Did you get the picture that I sent you?"

"I did. Did you really tell those women that I'm larger?"

"Yeah. But, I apologized to Alexis. Are you mad?"

"A little. I might just have to punish you for embarrassing my daughter," he kissed her lightly on the neck as she giggled. "Did you just giggle when I mentioned punishing you?"

"Castle, you are so _not_ Christian Grey," she protested as heat began to suffuse her body. Castle had truly magical lips.

"Did you get some new toys for us to play with?" His lips continued caressing her neck, smiling when he heard her breath hitch.

"Maybe. But before we start playing with my new toys, I want to show you what Alexis made me," she reached for his hand and pulled him down to the couch with him, reaching into one of the bags for the photo album. "Look at this."

He took the album, tracing the photo on the cover with his fingers before opening to the first page and reading. "'_Once upon a time, a ruggedly handsome mystery writer named Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle was born in New York City. On a cool March night, he met a beautiful, smart homicide detective named Katherine Beckett._' She wrote about us," he kissed Kate on the forehead.

"I want to read our whole story, but right now, I know that you want to play," she bit her lip, giving him a mischievous grin. "I'm going to go take a shower and slip into something more comfortable while you find something for us to play with," she reached for one of the bags before giving him yet another kiss. "It's a shower for one because I want to surprise you."

"I'll get the bedroom ready," he grinned.

While Kate was in the shower, Castle rooted through the bags, grinning at the items that he found. He clearly saw the hand of a certain medical examiner written all over some of the gifts. He pulled out a purple satin blindfold as well as a fingertip vibrator. He turned the vibrator on, smiling when he heard the buzz and felt the vibration. It wasn't a particularly strong vibrator, but it was more than enough for what he had in mind. He then walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, surveying the contents. There was a full can of whipped cream on the door. He walked into their bedroom and lit candles around the room before turning down the bed and spritzing the sheets with lavender scented linen spray, one of Kate's favorites. Now there was nothing to do but wait for her to emerge from her shower.

In the bathroom, Kate looked at her reflection in the mirror. Lanie had excellent taste in sexy lingerie. The set Kate was wearing for Castle tonight consisted of a light blue nightie that came to the top of her thighs, panties that were so skimpy she felt as if she might as well not be wearing anything. There was also a short sheer robe, but Kate decided to not wear it. Something told her that what she was currently wearing wasn't going to be on her body for very long.

Before going into the bedroom to see what Castle had in mind for tonight, she sprayed his favorite body spray lightly over her entire body. She then brushed her hair and pinned it on top of her head in a messy bun. Taking a deep breath, she opened the bedroom door and sucked in her breath as she looked around their bedroom. Candles were flickering all around the bedroom and Castle was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. "Wow, you look absolutely beautiful," he breathed as she walked over and stood between his knees. "Aren't you supposed to save some of this stuff for our honeymoon?"

"Oh, don't worry. I got enough of them for the honeymoon and beyond."

"I was thinking while you were in the bathroom," he reached around behind him and brought his hands back out, holding one of his neckties in his hands. "You know how you like to be in control?"

"Yes," she suddenly found it hard to breathe. They had played with her handcuffs a few times, but this was the first time they'd played with one of his ties.

"Well, this time I'm in charge of everything," he looked into her eyes, which were darkening with lust for him. "Right now, I don't want you touching me," he wrapped the tie around her hands, tight enough to secure her, but not so tight as to actually cut off her circulation. "Get in the middle of the bed."

Kate climbed into the middle of the California King bed and sat against the headboard, waiting for Castle's next move. She didn't have long to wait before he slipped the blindfold over her eyes, making sure that she couldn't see anything. She then heard his footsteps recede, followed by silence. "Castle? Rick?" She called out.

"Just stay still," she heard him call out from somewhere else in the loft. The kitchen maybe? In the kitchen, Castle debated between the whipped cream and ice cubes. Kate did an amazing thing to him with ice cubes. He decided that it was time to return the favor. He took a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with several ice cubes before returning to the bedroom. "You didn't move. Very good," he put the bowl down on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Where was I going to go, Castle? I can't see shit."

"You don't need to see," he moved closer to her. "All you need to do is feel."

She felt the warmth of his breath on her face as she moved toward that warmth, sighing when she felt his lips come over hers; biting back a groan when she felt him sucking in her bottom lip, his tongue probing, forcing her to open up to allow him entrance. She could feel her nipples hardening and the wetness building between her legs as they kissed. There was something wonderfully erotic about kissing without being able to see anything.

Castle cupped her face in his hands, slowly stroking his tongue against hers, feeling her try to move into him. "Stay still," he warned, smiling against her mouth.

"I'm never letting you read that book again."

"Then you'd better stop leaving it lying around," his lips skimmed from her lips along her jaw to the spot behind her ear. "Fuck, you smell fabulous."

"Did you just say 'fabulous?'"

"It's the first word that popped into my head," he murmured in her ear. She whimpered when she felt his teeth clamp down on her earlobe, tugging on it. "But, it's the truth. You smell fabulous and you taste even better."

Kate felt his hands push her back so that she was lying against the pillows as his tongue trailed down her neck to her pulse point, which he sucked on and gently bit as she arched up against him. He then took her bound hands and moved them over her head as he moved down her throat. The roughness of his stubble rubbed the sensitive skin between her breasts, setting her senses further aflame.

Castle traced the puckered round scar at her left breast with gentle fingers, replacing them with his lips and tongue. He pulled her nightie down, exposing her left breast to his hungry mouth, relishing the sound of her ragged breathing as he laved all of his attention to her very sensitive nipple, before moving to her other breast. Listening to the sounds coming from her throat made him impossibly hard. He knew that he was going to have to get out of his clothes to relieve some of the pressure.

"No, Castle," Kate groaned when she felt him get up from the bed. "Where are you going?" 

"Shh, I'm right here," his voice assured her as he quickly stripped out of his clothes. Before rejoining her on the bed, he grabbed an ice cube and popped it into his mouth.

Kate once again felt the bed dip under Castle's weight, followed seconds later by intense cold surrounding her nipple. "Oh shit, Castle!" The heat of his mouth combined with the cold of the ice were driving her crazy with need. She heard a rattle and then more cold as his tongue moved to her other breast, circling her nipple with his lips, tugging and biting as she couldn't stop the cries coming from her throat. While his mouth worked one breast, his fingers worked the other, his thumb and forefinger kneading and pulling. "Castle, please touch me. I'm so close."

"You're not in charge, Kate. Remember? You compared me to a cake. I still can't believe that you did that."

"Well, I did say that you were bigger than that cake and you definitely taste better," she couldn't help the huge grin that split her face, especially when she clearly felt him grinning against her breast.

"So do you," he reached for another ice cube, swirling it around in his mouth before he continued his onslaught on her senses. He unbuttoned the tiny buttons on the negligee, pushing it opened and moving down her body.

Kate could feel the wetness trickling from her body, soaking the tiny panties that she was wearing. Instead of moving to where she wanted him, she could feel Castle's fingers tracing the scar along her rib cage and then more intense cold as he licked and sucked the smooth skin of her belly. She heard another rattle and the gasped when he placed an ice cube on her bare skin, slowly moving it down her heated flesh to her belly button, where he let the melting water pool before he moved to lap it from her. "Castle, this is so fucking hot," she moaned, continuing to gasp as the melting ice slid down her pelvis. "When are you going to let me touch you?"

"Maybe I won't let you touch me. Maybe I'll just keep slowly torturing you."

"Can I at least bring my arms back down? They're starting to ache a little bit," she admitted.

Castle immediately moved up and took her hands, lowering her arms back down in front of her, gently massaging them. He then kissed the corner of her mouth, backing off when she tried to slide her mouth over his. Moving back down her body, he kissed, suckled, and gently nibbled, stopping at the top of her panties, which were tied with two ties. He slipped his fingers into one tie and tugged it loose before moving to the other one. "I like these panties. I'm glad they're tied because I'd really hate to rip a brand new pair of panties off of you."

"I'd be a little pissed if you ruined one of my shower gifts," she groaned at the feel of his fingers tracing her hipbone, avoiding the area where she wanted him to touch her the most. She couldn't remember feeling this wet and swollen ever, not with Castle, not with anybody. She then felt the material of the untied panties being pulled from between her legs, followed by the rattle to her right. She whimpered in anticipation, knowing that ice was coming, but not when or where.

She jumped at the first contact of Castle's lips and tongue on the inside of her thighs. She was so hot and his mouth was so nice and cool. But instead of feeling the cold that she was anticipating, she heard a faint buzzing. Seconds later, she felt a vibration against the inside of her thigh, and then it inched higher. She screamed when the first spasms hit. She could feel the humming of the finger vibrator against her clit, feeling spasm after spasm course through her. "Stop, Castle. Please," she begged.

Knowing how sensitive she was, he switched off the vibrator and placed it back on the nightstand, giving her a few minutes to come down from her orgasm. Her chest was heaving and she was covered in a light coating of sweat. He reached for another ice cube as he watched her breathing gradually returning to normal.

He swished the ice around the inside of his mouth, before moving down between her legs. He hooked his arms around her legs, opening them up even wider before covering her wet, swollen mound with his mouth, listening to her squeal of surprise at the coldness on her clit. Kate was so wet and she tasted so sweet, Castle knew that he'd never get enough of her. She was moving her hips up and down as he feasted on her. He reached his hand up for her wrists, managing to remove the tie from her bound wrists, instantly feeling her hands coming down into his hair, holding him closer to her as her movements became frantic, her cries more strident as she got closer to coming again.

Castle entered her with first one finger and then a second one, angling them up until he found her g-spot, listening to the curse words that were now pouring from her mouth. He loved listening to how vocal she became when they were intimate. Some of the words that came out of her mouth were interesting, to say the very least. He could feel her clenching around his fingers, as her thighs began to tremble and she fell over the precipice once again, screaming Castle's name over and over.

Kate was still trying to catch her breath and return back to planet Earth when she felt Castle moving up her body, his hardness nudging at her swollen entrance. He kissed her, pulling off the blindfold as he slowly pushed into her, swallowing her groan and feeling her wrap her legs around him as he rocked against her, feeling her answering thrust as they got into a nice, slow rhythm. "I love you, Kate. I love you so fucking much," he whispered against her mouth.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, feeling that familiar tightening beginning again. She couldn't believe how many times Castle could make her come in one lovemaking session. "Oh shit, Castle. I'm so fucking close again. Come with me, please? Oh, you feel so good inside of me." She kissed his mouth, his jaw, his neck, and his shoulder, letting her fingers roam his back, down to his ass, which she couldn't help but give an affectionate squeeze before moving her hands back up to loop around his neck as his thrusts became harder and more choppy as his own orgasm bore on him.

Castle reached his hand down and rubbed against her swollen nub as she once again screamed out and came hard on him, her grasping muscles pushing him over the edge as he thrust into her twice more before pouring himself into her before collapsing against her shoulder. When he tried to move off of her, Kate just held him tighter to her. "Don't go yet," she buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'll send Lanie a thank you note for your toys," he kissed her neck, feeling Kate shiver underneath him.

"Next time, I get to put the blindfold on you," she whispered against his neck.

"I can't wait," he lifted up and lightly kissed her before slowly pulling out of her and rolling onto his back. "I know that you already took a shower, but would you like to join me for another one?"

"Let's go," she got out of bed and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the bathroom.

They took a shower and fell into bed, both quickly falling into a sexually sated sleep. Kate had the same dream that had been plaguing her since her original wedding dress had been destroyed in the fire, only this time a new character entered the dream.

_Kate found herself watching the burning vehicle at the bottom of the embankment when she saw someone walking away from the fire. "You know, you're just like your mama. Both playing in a world where you don't belong. Your mama paid for it with your life. So will you," the familiar voice of Vulcan Simmons warned her, her face seeming to melt in the heat from the flames._

"_No! Leave me alone! Leave Castle alone! He promised me that everything would be all right! He promised me that we'd live happily ever after!"_

"_You stupid bitch, happily ever after only happens in children's fairy tales."_

"No!" Kate sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Kate?" Castle reached over and turned on the lamp by his side of the bed. "Were you dreaming again?"

"Castle, tell me everything's going to be okay," she laid down as she felt his arms come around, drawing her to his chest.

"Kate, it's just pre-wedding nerves. In 10 more days we're going to be married and everything's going to be perfect. I love you. It's going to be okay," he kissed her softly, over and over, until she relaxed and closed her eyes.

If Castle had to guess, he would imagine that the reason Kate was having nightmares was because she still hadn't process taking down Bracken and putting an end to the battle to win justice for her mother. He knew that until she was able to process that and put it behind her, her mind was never going to be at rest.

**A/N #3: I want to thank Pnxgirl for the information about Bracken not being behind the bars. I wasn't aware that he was still basically untouchable.**

**A/N #4: I promise a happy ending to this story. I'm not going to pull a Marlowe. I'll save that for my Ficathon story.**

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	18. Chapter 18--Everything's Crashing Down

**DISCLAIMERS: No. If I owned 'Castle,' the end scene of 'For Better or Worse' would've had them on a beach in Bora-Bora, not with Rick's Mercedes at the bottom of an embankment.**

**SUMMARY: The stress of planning the perfect wedding, her assault at the hands of Vulcan Simmons, and the resolution of her mother's murder case finally catch up with Beckett.**

**A/N #1: I recently watched the remake of 'Rosemary's Baby,' which was deliciously creepy. There was one scene that I really liked that made me think of Caskett because it involved Scrabble tiles. I'm going to use my own take in this chapter because Kate is really going to need it.**

**A/N #2: This is going to be a filler chapter before we get to attend a wedding.**

Chapter 18: Everything's Crashing Down

"I keep having the same awful dream over and over. Every night it's the same dream," Kate was sitting in her therapist's office, her long legs tucked under her, shoes on the floor at her feet.

"Tell me about it," Dr. Carver Burke watched her from his vantage point across from her.

"I'm at the house in the Hamptons getting ready to get married and I get a call from the Highway Patrol telling me that Rick's been in an accident. I get to the scene of the accident . . . and his car . . . is on fire at the bottom of the embankment," Kate's breathing was ragged with emotion. "I wake up either screaming or unable to catch my breath."

"How many days until the wedding, Kate?" Burke asked in his gentle baritone.

"Five. What does that have to do with anything?" 

"I want you to examine everything that you've been through in just the last two months. You went undercover on a mission that didn't end well; you were able to bring closure to your mother's murder, and you're trying to plan the wedding of your dreams. It would be enough to stress anybody out."

"So, you're saying that these nightmares are caused by stress?" Kate stared at him in disbelief.

"You told me that they started after your dress was destroyed in the boutique fire. I think your subconscious is thinking of an 'anything that can go wrong will' scenario. Kate, have you let yourself process the events of the last two months? Have you talked to Castle about what you were thinking the night of that undercover assignment? Or how you felt when you put those handcuffs on Sen. Bracken?"

"We talked about the undercover assignment. I let him read the letter that I wrote him."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Kate, you must've been unbelievably scared in that house, not knowing if you were going to live or die, or if you were going to be reunited with Castle. I know that your job requires you to keep a lid on your feelings, but when you're not on the job, you need to allow yourself to just be a woman in love. A woman who's looking forward to marrying the man of her dreams. I take it that you are looking forward to marrying him," he gave her a pointed look.

"Very much so," Kate smiled. "By the way, I got your RSVP. I'm glad that you're going to be able to attend."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"If my time is up, I have to go and get my dress fitted," Kate got to her feet and slipped her shoes back on.

Kate was going to a tailor that Martha had recommended to get her dress fitted. After the dress was finished at the tailor's, the plan was to take it to Lanie so that her maid of honor could hold onto it until the wedding. With the nightmares, she was terrified of Castle seeing the dress before the wedding.

An hour later, she stood in front of a three-way mirror, unable to breathe as she looked at her reflection, the tailor standing right behind her. "It's as if this dress was made for you," the woman said, lifting the back of the dress and then letting it fall. "I just need to make a few adjustments in the sides. I can have it ready for you Saturday."

"Perfect," Kate turned one way and then the other. She could actually see her mother standing next to her, which made her eyes fill with tears.

"This is a truly beautiful gown."

"It was my mom's."

"You are going to be a beautiful bride."

"Thank you."

After finishing with the dress fitting, she went to the precinct, smiling when she saw Castle talking to the boys. "Hi," she squeezed his shoulder as he looked at her and gave her a dazzling smile.

"Hi. Did you get your errands finished?"

"Yeah, I'm good. My dress will be ready Saturday."

"Hopefully the shop won't catch fire this time," Espo quipped as Castle and Ryan shot him dirty looks.

"Not funny, Espo," Kate's eyes filled with tears as she turned and stomped toward the break room.

"I'll be back," Castle got up and followed behind Kate.

"At this rate, bro, you're never going to get married," Ryan shook his head.

"Come on, I was just trying to be funny," Espo scoffed.

Kate was standing in front of the espresso machine, just staring at it when she felt strong hands on her shoulders. "Kate, it's going to be okay. Espo didn't mean anything. He thought that he was just lightening up the mood."

"That's my mom's dress that I'm leaving with a complete stranger, Castle. If I lose another dress—"

"Hey," he turned her around to face him. "Nothing is going to happen to your mom's dress. You're going to go to pick it up Saturday and it's going to be perfect."

"Rick, I'm just starting to feel so overwhelmed," she ran her hands through her hair.

"That's to be expected. The wedding's only five days away. But everything is coming together just as it should. The caterer's are scheduled to arrive by three, mother has the decorators arriving Monday morning; the DJ is arriving at five. Everything is perfect, Kate. Take some deep breaths and come back out to the bullpen."

"Okay," she touched his cheek with her hand as he pressed into it.

Castle went back out to the bullpen and took his seat by the boys' desks. "No more jokes about wedding catastrophes, Espo," he warned him.

"Sorry, bro," Espo apologized.

"Alexis is expecting the two of you at the loft Friday afternoon at five o'clock for your final fittings for tuxes."

"We'll be there," Ryan promised as Espo nodded.

"Good, because Alexis has worked hard to set everything up as my best man."

"Well, Ryan and I have worked hard to put together your bachelor party," Espo informed the writer.

"Let's just put it this way. It's going to be epic," Ryan promised.

"The dollar bills are on me and Ryan," Espo added.

"Hey, Beckett?" Espo called out when Kate came back out to the bullpen. "You don't have a problem with Castle coming home early Sunday morning reeking of cheap perfume, do you? Because his bachelor party is going to be an event!"

"As long as it's just perfume that he reeks of, I'm fine," she forced a smile before walking away.

Castle wondered what exactly was going on with Kate as he watched her walk away. He got up and looked for her, finding her in the records room filing some reports. "Kate, if you're uncomfortable with the boys throwing me a—"

"No," she turned toward him. "I want you to have a party. After all, Lanie's going to be throwing me one."

"Then what's going on?"

"I don't know. I have so much stuff going on in my head right now. I can't sleep, I can't even think. I—"

"What did Burke say? Did you tell him about the nightmares?"

"He said I'm stressed with the wedding, what happened with Simmons, and getting Bracken. He . . . thinks that it's all just catching up with me."

"That sounds about right to me. Do you know what I think you need?" He walked over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Castle, we're at work," she reminded him, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm going to go home and make you a nice dinner. We can have a bottle of wine, some good food, listen to some music. Just have some alone time."

"Yeah, I think I'd like that," she really smiled for the first time since coming back to the precinct.

"Call me if you get a body drop. I'll see you at home in a couple of hours," he squeezed her hand before turning and leaving the room.

With Castle gone, Kate was able to get some work done. "So, five days," Ryan rolled his chair up beside her desk. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm a wreck, Ryan. Ask Jenny. I'm sure that she can tell you all about it."

"So, you're really okay with the bachelor party?"

"Ryan, I'm fine," she looked up at him. "I trust you guys and I trust Castle. He's entitled to one last bash before I make an honest man out of him. Besides, he went all out to throw you a bachelor party before you married Jenny. You should be allowed to return the favor," she smiled as she bit her lip.

"Yeah, that _was _a good time," Ryan smiled at the memory or what he actually remembered of the bachelor party Castle had thrown for him after learning that he'd been stuck with an underage best man.

"Do you really remember your party, Ryan?"

"Well, I remember _some _of it."

"I just hope that Castle remembers some of his," she said under her breath as Ryan rolled back to his desk.

***CCC***

Castle was bustling around the loft preparing things for a romantic dinner when he heard his phone signal that he had a text. He smiled when he picked up his phone. **'No body drop. Will be home in about 15. ILY.'**

He thought for a moment before sending her a message back. **'Have wine chilling. Dinner is on the stove. Just waiting on my gorgeous fiancée. Will see u soon. ILY, 2.'**

Unlocking the door of the loft a short time later, Kate could smell the delectable scent of tomatoes and spices. But stepping into the loft, she was confronted with a trail of rose petals that went from the front entrance back toward Castle's office. "Castle?" She called out as she followed the trail, smiling when she stopped at the entryway to his office. Looking at the floor, she saw the words 'Take off your clothes' spelled out in Scrabble tiles.

Wondering what Castle had up his sleeve, she slowly began removing her clothes, leaving a trail as she walked toward their bedroom, following more rose petals. At their bedroom door, she found more Scrabble tiles in the doorway. 'Meet me in the bathroom.'

More intrigued than ever, she walked to the bathroom door, turning the knob and stepping inside, smiling when she saw Castle lounging in a bathtub full of bubbles, with tea candles flickering on every inch of counter space. "I thought that you were cooking me dinner," she took his offered hand and stepped into the tub.

"Dinner will be ready by the time we get out. Earlier it just seemed like you could use a little down time," he nuzzled her neck as she rested against his chest. She took his hand and squeezed his fingers. "I'm here when you're ready to talk about it."

She sank further down into the tub, taking his hand and placing it under her breasts. "The night that I went on that undercover assignment, how did you know something was wrong?"

"When I tried calling and texting you and I got no response. It wasn't like you not to answer me back. When I got to the precinct, Ryan, Espo . . . they wouldn't look me in the eye and they wouldn't answer my questions. That's when I knew it was bad. Then Gates asked to talk to me in her office and it was like the floor fell out from under me."

"When I woke up in the hospital the morning after and knew that I was safe, I kept wishing that I had told Gates no. She offered me an out and I refused it. But, if I had turned down the assignment, we never would've learned that Vulcan Simmons was involved with Bracken. We never would've been able to bring him down."

She smiled when she felt him sink down so that he could hold her closer. "I know the last few months have been rough. But I promise that things are going to go smoothly from here on out."

"Well, except for writing our vows. I don't know what I'm going to say, Castle," she whined as he chuckled and lightly kissed her temple.

"You say what's in here," he put his hand over her heart. "If you express what's in your heart, you can't go wrong. Speaking of our wedding, J.R. from Tiffany's called today and he said that our rings are ready. I'm going to go Friday morning to pick them up. I'll stop by the morgue and give my ring for Lanie to hold onto for the ceremony."

"Five days, Castle," she found it hard to breathe.

"Five days, Beckett," he repeated to her. "Just think, right about this time five days from now, you and I will probably be dancing to our first dance."

She rolled in his arms so that she could face him, her face about to split in a huge grin. "I'm so excited. I've never been this excited about anything."

"Me, either," his lips claimed hers in a tender kiss. "Let's get out of here so that I can feed you. You're going to love dinner."

"Did I smell spaghetti sauce?" She asked, scooting up so that he could get out of the tub and help her out of it.

"Not quite. I'm going to make steamed mussels in a Pomodoro sauce over linguine."

After drying and throwing some clothes on, she followed Castle back into the living room, sitting at the counter on a bar stool and watching as he busied himself in the kitchen. He checked on the simmering sauce, tasted it, and added a few ingredients to it before going to the refrigerator and removing a bag of mussels. He placed them carefully in the sauce and covered the pan with a lid, turning the heat down so that the shellfish would steam open. He then put a pot of water on to boil, adding a generous amount of salt to it. He smiled at Kate, who returned his smile. She loved to watch him in the kitchen. "Can I ask you something? Do you think that I'm spinning out of control?"

"No," he walked around the counter, stopping in front of her. "I think you're feeling more than a little overwhelmed, but you're nowhere near where you were a couple of years ago. Once we're married, you'll find that you're able to breathe again. I think that the nightmares will also stop."

"I just think about my mom a lot lately, Castle. More than I have in a long time."

"I think it's because you finally got closure. I think your mom is finally at peace, Kate. I know that you wish she could be with you on Monday, but her spirit is going to be there. Like I told you when you arrested Bracken, wherever she is, she's looking down on you and she's so proud."

Kate didn't say anything. She simply looped her arms around Castle's neck, feeling his arms slip around her waist and hold her close to him. "You might want to check on my dinner, Castle," she kissed his neck as he released his grip on her.

Forty-five minutes later, they were sitting at the dining table with plates of the wonderful dinner Castle had prepared along with a wonderful white wine he'd selected from his impressive collection of fine wines. He poured each of them a glass before putting the bottle back into the ice bucket. "So, how is it?" He asked her.

"Wonderful," she smiled after taking a bite. The sauce was tomato-y with more than a hint of spiciness. To Kate, it was sublime. And the pairing of the wine made it even more so.

"I'm glad that you like mussels. Mother and Alexis aren't fans, so it's been a while since I've been able to cook them."

"I love all kinds of seafood. Shrimp is my favorite. I'm like the character in 'Forrest Gump' when it comes to shrimp," she admitted. "I went to New Orleans when I was younger and I went to a place where they had all you could eat shrimp. I thought that I was going to be sick when I walked out of there."

Castle laughed at the mental image Kate had just conjured in his head. The one thing he'd learned early on about his fiancée was she liked to eat. She was fashionably slim, but she could put away a cheeseburger or slices of pizza without a second thought. She was much different than his two ex-wives, who were always worried about their weight. Kate's job kept her in shape, plus she also worked out, which helped her maintain her figure. Her desk at work always held a bowl of M&M's or Gummy Bears, which she'd snack on during the day.

After dinner, Kate helped Castle clean up the kitchen before they curled up on the sofa, Castle, with his laptop to get some writing done, and Kate, to work on some paperwork she'd brought home with her. With Castle sitting at one corner and Kate at the other, they worked in companionable silence for the next couple of hours. They were still working when they heard the lock in the door and Alexis walked in. "Hi, pumpkin," Castle greeted his daughter, smiling at her when she walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi dad, Kate," Alexis smiled at the two of them. "What're you guys doing?"

"Well, I'm trying to catch up on some files before I start my leave on Friday. I'm not sure what your dad's doing," Kate teased.

"Well, if you must know, I was working on my vows," he squeezed Kate's foot.

"Really? For the last two hours? Because you've been writing for a long time."

"That's because I want them to be perfect."

"You guys are just too cute," Alexis turned to go to her room, stopping short when she spotted something on the floor. "Dad, is that a rose petal on the floor?"

"Oh, I thought I got all of them picked up," he gave her his best puppy-dog look as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to get ready for bed."

"Bed? What time is it?" Kate asked.

"A little after 10," Alexis answered. "Goodnight, dad. Goodnight, Kate."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, Alexis."

"Are you ready to turn in?" Castle saved the document on his computer and shut it down.

"Yeah, I am a little tired," she admitted, rising to her feet.

A short time later, they stood side by side in front of the bathroom sink, going through their nighttime routine before going to bed. Kate got into the huge bed as Castle climbed in after her. She curled up against his chest as his arm came around her. "Are they going to make me cry?" She stroked his chest with her fingers.

"What? My vows?" He stilled her fingers, feeling her nod against him chest. "Probably. I have every intention of turning you into a mushy mess."

"Do you think the boys have taken wagers on which of us is going to cry first?"

"Knowing those two, probably. Kate, I want you to know that even though I've done this twice before, this time feels like the first time. Because this time I'm getting married for the right reason. I can't wait to marry you and to start this next chapter of my life with you."

She tilted her face up so that she could kiss him, wondering for what had to be the thousandth time why she'd fought this love for so long. Sometimes it felt like her life had been on hold from the time her mother had been murdered until he'd wandered into her life. "I can't wait to start the next chapter of my life with you. It's going to be great."

"Yes, it is," he deepened their kiss as they tangled around each other.

**A/N #3: There will be at least two, possibly three more chapters before this wraps up.**

**A/N #4: Kate's comment about shrimp describes me perfectly. I love shrimp.**

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	19. Chapter 19--T-Minus Three Days

**DISCLAIMERS: No, I don't own 'Castle.' **

**SUMMARY: Its three days until the wedding. There's going to be quite a bit going on in this chapter. Contains spoilers for 6x23.**

Chapter 19: T-Minus Three Days

_Friday_

"Lanie, are you down here?" Castle called out, looking around for the medical examiner, also known as Kate's best friend and maid of honor.

"Castle, what're you doing down here? Does Beckett know that you're here?"

"No. I had errands and she's not expecting me for another half hour or so. We're going to go and get our marriage license, but I wanted to bring you this, first," he removed a ring box from his jacket pocket and held out it toward her. "I've already given Kate's ring to Alexis. Please guard this with your life."

"I think I can handle it, Writer-Boy," Lanie made a face. "Can I—"

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Just don't say anything to Kate about the inscription on the inside."

Lanie gasped when she opened up the ring box and admired the platinum ring encrusted with diamonds. "Castle, this is beautiful. I'll lock it up while I'm on shift and then I'll put it in a safe place when I get home."

"So, are you still picking Kate up Sunday afternoon to take her to the house in the Hamptons?"

"I'll be there around four. She's going with me if I have to drag her out of that loft by her hair. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," she looked pointedly at him. "I should actually take her phone, too, but we compromised. As long as she goes willingly with me, she gets to keep her phone."

"Hmm, the not seeing the bride before the wedding explains a lot. Maybe that's why my other two marriages didn't work out."

"Really? Are you sure that it doesn't have anything to do with ex-wife number one being a Deep-Fried Twinkie and ex-wife number two just being a bitch?"

"Nah, it's definitely the superstition about not seeing the bride before the wedding. Anyway, I'd better go. I'll see you Sunday," he turned and left the morgue as Lanie smiled and shook her head.

Upstairs in the bullpen, Kate walked over to Ryan's desk and dumped a stack of case files onto it. "Here are all of my current case files. If you have any questions, ask me now because after today, I will be out of here for three weeks."

"What're you more nervous about? The honeymoon or the wedding?" Ryan asked.

"I'm actually terrified of saying my vows in front of all of those people. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to say."

"Just imagine that they're a roomful of murder suspects," Ryan suggested helpfully.

"In their underwear," Esposito added.

"Or not," Kate made a face at her friend.

"When I was getting married, I was so nervous that I walked into a wall and gave myself a black eye," Capt. Gates came out of her office and joined the conversation in progress. "You're supposed to be a wreck," she smiled at Kate.

"So, who's ready to go and get their marriage license?" Castle's voice chimed out as he rounded the corner into the bullpen.

"Me," Kate raised her hand. "Let me get my bag."

"So Castle, are you ready for your big night tomorrow night?" Espo wanted to know.

"I don't understand why you men think that it's a rite of passage to spend your last night of freedom with scantily clad women," Gates shook her head in disgust.

"It's biological," Kate told her captain.

"What?" Gates gave her a funny look.

"I'll explain it another time. Right now, I have to go get a piece of paper that says I can get married," Kate's grin was so wide it threatened to split her face in two.

"Detective?" Gates called out to her as she started to walk off with Castle. "We'll see you Monday afternoon."

"Yes, sir," she continued to grin as she got onto the elevator with Castle, reaching for his hand. "So, did you pick up our rings?"

"Yes, I did," he looked straight ahead.

"Did you deliver yours to Lanie?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you still want to do this?"

"Yes, I do," he gave her an adoring smile as she smiled back.

Standing in line at the County Clerk's office at City Hall, Kate couldn't resist resting her head on Castle's shoulder while they waited their turn. "Next!" The clerk called out in a bored tone as they stepped up to the counter. After giving the clerk their names, the clerk typed into her computer. "Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett. Proof of divorce," she glanced at Castle as he handed some papers over to her. She looked back and forth between her screen and the papers, before printing a form out. She got up, walked over to the printer, returning seconds later with their marriage license. "You're all set. Next!"

"Let me see," Kate was like a little girl at Christmas as she took their marriage license from Castle. "Oh my god! We're getting married!" She kissed him as he started laughing.

"You are so cute sometimes. Are you hungry? Let's go grab some lunch."

"So, what now?"

"Well, when we get home, I'll turn this precious piece of paper over to my best man. Monday after we are married, she'll give it to Father Flynn and our witnesses so that they can sign it."

Over lunch, they got into a conversation about Kate leaving Sunday with Lanie and Martha for the Hamptons. "Castle, I don't want to be away from you."

"Hey, it's only for 24 hours. Besides, it's bad luck for me to see you the night before the wedding. We've had enough bad luck, don't you think?"

"Castle, it's just a silly superstition."

"Kate, before I got married to Meredith and then Gina, I was with them right up until the moment we said our vows. And look what happened with those two. I want to do everything as right as we possibly can."

"Okay," she finally relented. "But can I at least talk to you on the phone every chance I get between Sunday and Monday?"

"Absolutely."

***CCC***

Martha entered the loft that night shortly after nine o'clock, just as Kate threw a balled up sheet of paper toward the middle of the room, where it joined several other balled up sheets of paper. "Katherine, what are you doing?"

"Trying to write the words that tell the world how I feel about your son. Is it too late to convince Rick to go back to traditional vows?" She made a face as Martha sat at the end of the sofa. "I'm not the writer, Castle is."

"Kiddo, Richard is not expecting you to recite Shakespeare. The idea of reciting your own vows is to let him and the world, as you so succinctly put it; know how you feel about him. What do you think when you wake up in the middle of the night and watch him sleeping beside you? How does it make your heart feel when you see him stepping off of that elevator at the 12th or through this front door, even if you've only been apart for a few hours? That's what you want to base your vows on. It doesn't have to sound like a best-selling novel, but it should come from your heart."

"Thank you, Martha," Kate smiled. "That helps a lot."

"Besides, don't think for a second that Richard isn't also going to stumble a bit. I think that he's easily as nervous as you are."

"He doesn't show it."

"That's because he's done this twice before."

***CCC***

_Saturday_

Kate woke up to the sound of the shower running. She picked up her cell phone and squinted at it, seeing that it was after four in the morning. 'It must've been one hell of a party,' she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Castle was standing with his hands against one of the walls of the shower, letting the water completely pour over him, trying to wash some of the drunkenness away before he got into bed with Beckett. As promised, Ryan and Espo had thrown him an epic bachelor party, complete with the requisite strippers, stripper pole, lap dances and a lot of alcohol. He was thankful that he'd rented a limo service to make sure that his party guests got home safely.

Kate stepped into the shower and wrapped her arms around Castle from behind, planting a soft kiss in the middle of his back. "So, I take it that it was a good party."

"It was a _great _party. I'm just not sure how much of it I'm going to remember in the morning. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I woke up and you weren't in bed. Did you take some Tylenol and drink some water?"

"Yes, I did."

"So, did you have a stripper named Dixie shaking her boobs in your face?" She teased, trailing her fingernails down his torso, stopping short of his hardening cock.

"I think her name was Jasmine."

"Well, now you've got a cop named Kate who's about to blow your mind, along with other parts of your anatomy," she slowly turned him around before sinking to her knees in front of him.

Later that morning, Alexis came downstairs to find Kate in the kitchen making breakfast. "Good morning. How late did dad get home last night?"

"I don't know what time he got home, but I joined him in the shower sometime after four," she gave Alexis a knowing smile, as the young redhead rolled her eyes. "He told me that the boys threw him a great party. How did the tuxedo fittings go yesterday?"

"Perfectly," Alexis smiled, making an 'Ok' sign. "All three of them looked like they had stepped out of a James Bond movie. What time do you have to be at the tailor for your final dress fitting?"

"I have to be there in about an hour, but I wanted to make your dad breakfast first."

Castle was sound asleep on his stomach, one arm dangling over the side of the bed. "Castle, I made you breakfast," Kate placed the tray on the nightstand before sitting beside him on the bed. "I have to leave in a little while for my final dress fitting and then I'm taking the dress to Lanie. Are you awake?"

"Umm," he moaned.

"Breakfast is on the nightstand. I have to get dressed," she kissed his cheek before getting off of the bed.

He opened his eyes, focusing on the sight of Kate in the middle of the room getting dressed. "Are you sure that you have to leave? You can't get back in bed for a little while?"

"Castle, I can't. I'll make it up to you tonight."

"Actually, I should be making it up to you after that early morning performance in the shower."

"I'm glad you liked it," she smiled, pulling her boots on before going into the closet and coming back out with a shoe box. "I'll see you later this afternoon."

"Hey, don't you have your party tonight?" He sat up and reached for the tray she'd left him.

"Yeah, but I'll still make it up to you or vice versa. I have to go," she leaned down and kissed him.

"Thank you for breakfast."

"Always," she smiled before leaving the room.

Forty-five minutes later, Kate held her breath as the tailor buttoned the small buttons up the back of her mother's wedding dress. "Are you ready to take a look?" The woman asked her as Kate nodded.

Kate slowly turned to face the tri-panel mirror and couldn't believe her eyes. "It's perfect," she could barely breathe. "It _is _perfect, isn't it?"

"You look stunning. Your groom is a lucky man."

It was more beautiful than Matilda King's dress; it was even more beautiful than the dress she'd bought. It was as if her mother was watching over her. She couldn't wait for Castle to see her in this dress. She couldn't wait for her father to see her in it. She turned and hugged the tailor. "Thank you so much."

"Martha told me that you would make a beautiful bride and she was right."

Kate arrived at Lanie's apartment a short time after that. "Don't you dare peek at this dress until you help me get dressed on Monday. I want you to be surprised."

"How was Castle's bachelor party?"

"I don't know all of the details, and I'm not sure that I want to know all of them, but according to Castle, it was a _great_ party. We ended up in the shower at four o'clock this morning."

"You go, girl! Martha and I were talking about Monday. We have plans that will keep the three of us so busy that you won't have time to miss Writer-Man."

"What are the two of you up to?"

"Uh-uh. We don't kiss and tell. But, we're going to have a great day. Are you getting excited about the big day?"

"Extremely. I even managed to write some vows that hopefully make some kind of sense."

"I'll have you know that I am very excited to be your maid of honor. I also have a speech written that makes some kind of sense, not that you're going to remember any of it."

"Oh no, Lanie. I intend to remember every second of it."

"Girl, please," Lanie waved her hand at Kate. "You're going to be so wrapped up in Castle's eyes, arms, and every other part of him that you're not going to remember anything."

***CCC***

_Sunday_

Early the next morning, a table filled with drunken women were loudly talking and giggling over appetizers at Remy's. "Bex, in less than 48 hours you're going to be a married woman. You're marrying Richard Castle," Maddie Queller took a long drink of the water sitting in front of her.

"I know, Maddie. I was there when he asked me," Kate's head was beginning to pound. While she'd had a good time at the party, all she wanted to do right now was go home and crawl into bed beside her ruggedly handsome fiancé.

"Alexis, I think Mad Max really liked you," Lanie said, referring to one of the strippers who had taken a liking to Alexis.

"He actually asked for my number. What kind of a stripper does that? My dad hated Pi. I can just see his face if I came home with a male stripper."

"I had a great time tonight. I want to thank all of you," Kate told her friends.

Castle was sound asleep when he heard the sound of loud giggling, followed by 'shushing' sounds. It sounded like he had three drunken women on his hands instead of just one. Hearing footsteps approaching the bedroom, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep. After a lot of things dropping on the floor and then the bathroom door closing for several minutes, he heard Kate stumbling toward the bed and climbing in beside him, slipping her arm over Castle's stomach, tucking her leg in between his.

When Castle rolled over later that morning, he smiled at Kate, who had fallen asleep with a plastic tiara on her head that read 'Bride' across the front of it. He kissed the corner of her mouth, watching her lips quirk up in a smile. "Too early, Castle."

"You, Martha, and Alexis sounded like the noisiest mice ever when you came home last night. Did you have a good time?"

"One of the strippers tried to pick up your daughter."

"I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or be insulted."

"I had a good time, but none of those strippers came close to measuring up to you," she slipped her hand around his neck, devouring his mouth with hers, slipping a hand into the fly of his boxers.

***CCC***

"Lanie, please come in," Martha opened the door to the medical examiner later that afternoon. "I'll let Kate know that you're here." She walked to Castle's office doorway, smiling at her son busily typing on his laptop. "Richard, Lanie is here to take your fiancée away. You might want to wake her up."

"Tell Lanie I'll deliver Kate to her in a few minutes," he closed the lid to his laptop and walked into their bedroom, where Kate was sleeping, her arms wrapped around his pillows, her hair fanned out all around her. "Kate," he sat beside her and brushed her hair back. "Kate?"

"Hmm?" She moaned, slapping his hand away.

"Lanie's here."

"What time is it?" She asked, still half-asleep.

"Almost 3:30."

They had spent the morning and a good part of the early afternoon making love. Kate rolled over and stretched, the sheet slipping down her naked body as Castle's eyes gleamed appreciatively. "We don't have time for another round, Castle. I have to get in the shower. Are you sure that you believe that stupid superstition?"

"No, but I'm not taking any chances. Twenty-six hours," he softly kissed her.

"Twenty-six hours," she smiled against his mouth. "Go tell Lanie that I'll be right out. I have to jump in the shower."

Lanie was chatting with Martha and Alexis when Castle entered the living room. "Kate is getting in the shower. She'll be out in a little bit. So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I should be asking you that question," Lanie smiled.

"I've been ready for the past year," he smiled back. "She's been sleeping on and off all day, so I doubt she's going to sleep much tonight."

"I kind of expect that," Lanie said as Kate walked into the living room carrying her purse. "Hey, girl."

"Hey, Lanie," Kate greeted her best friend with a warm hug. "I know that you want to get going, but can you give me a minute?"

"Take all of the time that you need. I'll be downstairs. See you tomorrow, Writer-Man," Lanie waved before Martha walked her to the door. "Martha, I'll see you early in the morning."

"Yes, you will."

Kate stepped up to Castle, who enfolded his arms around her and smiled as his mother discreetly left the room. "I want you to go and have a good time with Lanie. Think of it as another girls' night out," he couldn't help smiling at her. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon at six o'clock. For the record, I'll be the ruggedly handsome man in the tuxedo."

"I can't wait to see what you look like in a tux," she smoothed her hands over his collar. "Alexis said that you look like you stepped out of a James Bond movie."

"I can't wait to see what you look like in your mother's wedding dress. I can't wait to make you Mrs. Richard Castle," he kissed her, groaning when she opened her mouth to him. "Kate, we don't have time. Lanie's downstairs. I'll see you tomorrow and I know that I'll talk to you plenty before then."

"I love you and I'll see you tomorrow," she reluctantly pulled free of him and walked to the door, turning to give him a small wave before she walked out.

"You two are so nauseatingly adorable," Martha quipped, walking back down the stairs. "I didn't see you act this way with either of your other two wives."

"That's because I didn't feel this way with either of my ex-wives. You're not going with them?"

"No, I thought Kate could use an evening alone without her future mother-in-law tagging along. I'm going out there early in the morning. Lanie and I are taking Kate for the whole wedding day experience. Hair, nails, facial, the works. We're going to keep her far too busy to think about how much she's missing you."

"Who is in charge of setting up for the wedding?" Castle was suddenly concerned.

"Darling, Alicia and I have been in constant touch with the housekeeping staff at the Hamptons house. It's under control."

"I hope so, Mother, because I want this to be perfect for Kate. She's been through so much in the past few months. She deserves a perfect wedding."

"It's going to be magical, Richard. I can feel it," Martha patted his hand.

**A/N #1: The next chapter will wrap everything up with a wedding. It's also going to be quite long.**

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